Prescribing Wellness: A Pharmacist's Radical Approach to Ending Chronic Disease

This week’s guest, pharmacist Dr. Kathy Campbell, challenges conventional wisdom about health, obesity, and medication. Dr. Campbell shares her journey from childhood obesity to becoming a "wellness pharmacist" dedicated to helping patients avoid medications through proper nutrition and lifestyle adjustments. She reveals why being "nutrient empty" is the real culprit behind many modern health issues and offers practical insights into creating true wellness.

Guest Information

Dr. Kathy Campbell is a pharmacist with over 33 years of experience who owns her independent pharmacy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She's the author of "Obesity: The Modern Famine" and advocates for a prevention-focused approach to healthcare. She speaks nationally and internationally on pharmacist-led lifestyle medicine and is working to create a network of wellness pharmacies across the country.

• Website: drkathydoes.com
• Book: "Obesity: The Modern Famine"
• Products: Dr. Kathy Nourish salts and spices
• She shared her recipe for Spicy Chicken Soup--one of the favorites of her cooking class attendees

Episode Highlights

• [00:00:00] Introduction to Dr. Kathy Campbell and her unique approach as a "wellness pharmacist"
• [00:01:00] Dr. Campbell's journey into pharmacy and her 33-year practice in one community
• [00:04:00] How Dr. Campbell expanded beyond pharmaceuticals to include botanicals, nutrients, and food
• [00:05:00] Dr. Campbell's personal experience with childhood obesity and her family history
• [00:06:00] Discussion of "Obesity: The Modern Famine" and the concept of nutrient deficiency
• [00:08:00] How obesity is a symptom of underlying metabolic chaos, not just overeating
• [00:10:00] The impact of stress chemistry on weight gain and health
• [00:13:00] Dr. Campbell's experience growing up in a family where obesity was normal
• [00:14:00] How Dr. Campbell helps patients optimize or reduce medications
• [00:16:00] The role of pharmacists as chemistry experts in healthcare
• [00:17:00] How patients end up "on empty" and the limitations of the current healthcare system
• [00:20:00] Dr. Campbell's approach to determining individual nutrient needs
• [00:22:00] The challenges of advocating for wellness in a medication-focused profession
• [00:24:00] Alarming statistics about chronic disease in children today (54% under 18)
• [00:26:00] Dr. Campbell's vision for a network of wellness pharmacies
• [00:27:00] The changing role of patients in curating their own healthcare team
• [00:29:00] Discussion of the business of healthcare versus actual care
• [00:31:00] How food quality impacts health and the importance of eating "non-poisoned" food
• [00:33:00] Dr. Campbell's services, including medication consultations and coaching
• [00:36:00] Dr. Campbell's work with other pharmacists and international speaking

Key Quotes

• "My goal as a pharmacist is not to fill prescriptions. It's to have people not need medications." - Dr. Campbell
• "We have been groomed to think that health is in the pill bottle and at the doctor's office. The reality is health is before that." - Dr. Campbell
• "I wanted to blow the conception that obesity was a problem of too much food....