Brittany Lamb MD

Chief Executive Officer

COMMONWEALTH EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS PC

Medical Doctor

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Emergency Medicine Resident

ER Physician Helping Dementia Family Caregivers Achieve Peace of Mind in Their Decisions | Educator, Speaker & Advocate | Let's Connect and Build a Positive Network

I help dementia family caregivers have more peace of mind by guiding them with the tools they need to make their person’s medical decisions with confidence. 

Caring for a loved one with Dementia is anything but easy. The uncertainty and stress often feels overwhelming. 

Imagine feeling more confident and sleeping a bit easier with the difficult choices you must face and make. 

Caregivers who are the medical decision maker for their person living with dementia should have the tools they need to create a medical decision plan. A plan they can fall back on when foreseeable or unexpected, medical conditions arise. Message me so I can help you. 

EMAIL: blambmd@gmail.com 

Working in the ER for almost a decade has taught me there isn't enough time spent ahead of a crisis in defining peoples' goals of care or what quality of life means to them. 

Healthcare traditionally waits until people are critically ill. We then ask people to think about the future. 
This is a mistake.

I believe in a better alternative which is to teach people, and those speaking for them, the treatment options of the conditions they are most likely to face. 

Your past and current medical history is a gateway into your future health risk.

In the ER we analyze risk factors, choose a way to work up the chief complaint based on risk, and then present treatment options to the patient or their caregiver with any data collected. 

It’s an oversimplification, but that’s my job in a nutshell.

When we teach people open to learning the care options they will have ahead of a crisis, it empowers them to make their own health care choices. 

When I treat people who are clear on their overall goals and understand the treatment options, everything goes smoother. The ER is not a good place to decide what matters most to you. 

People living with dementia rely on their caregivers to speak for them. 
They deserve to have the care they would choose for themselves if their brains were healthy and they could learn what their caregivers can.
I help provide the knowledge caregivers need to make that happen. 

I’m a speaker, educator, content and course creator. Also an entrepreneur. Reach out to work together.

Brittany Lamb, MD

DeLon Canterbury, PharmD, BCGP

GeriatRx is a Telehealth, Medication Therapy Management (MTM) pharmacist-based consulting  company that helps patients, providers, and caregivers optimize health outcomes with evidence-based therapies with innovative solutions focusing on deprescribing unnecessarily prescribed medications. We boldly believe that every patient, especially our senior citizens, should have a pharmacist assess and conduct Medication Therapy Management to ensure that therapies are appropriate, safe, and effective while tailoring our Health Action Plans to our patient's clinical needs and racial demographics. 

GeriatRx is your personal pharmacist-lead consulting service that focuses on Chronic Care Management and identifies that there is a lack of support for parents that are caregivers or for the elderly who need help in maneuvering a very difficult health care landscape. We pride ourselves on being your advocate alongside your medical provider in creating the best possible care plan for you or your loved ones while empowering you with health education and invaluable resources. The majority of patients taking 15-18 medications annually are aged over 65, and unfortunately, preventable medication errors cost nearly $21 billion dollars annually. Pharmacists not only reduce medication errors that may prevent a trip to the emergency room or hospital, but can lead to savings for you, your family, and overall the health care system. GeriatRx wants to be there for you whenever your most pressing pharmaceutical needs may arise and you need an immediate resource, and we welcome you to join our community.

Apply for the Deprescribing Accelerator Here: 

https://delon-canterbury.mykajabi.com/deprescribing-accelerator

GeriatRx is a Telehealth Concierge Deprescribing consulting service that helps patients, providers, and senior facing businesses optimize health outcomes with evidence-based therapies with innovative solutions focusing on deprescribing unnecessarily prescribed medications. We boldly believe that every patient, especially our senior citizens, should have a pharmacist assess and conduct Medication Therapy Management to ensure that therapies are appropriate, safe, and effective while tailoring our Health Action Plans to our patient's clinical needs and racial demographics.

GeriatRx is your personal pharmacist-lead consulting service that focuses on Chronic Care Management and identifies that there is a lack of support for parents that are caregivers or for the elderly who need help in maneuvering a very difficult health care landscape. We pride ourselves on being your advocate alongside your medical provider in creating the best possible care plan for you or your loved ones while empowering you with health education and invaluable resources. The majority of patients taking 15-18 medications annually are aged over 65, and unfortunately, preventable medication errors cost nearly $21 billion dollars annually. Pharmacists not only reduce medication errors that may prevent a trip to the emergency room or hospital, but can lead to savings for you, your family, and overall the health care system. GeriatRx wants to be there for you whenever your most pressing pharmaceutical needs may arise and you need an immediate resource, and we welcome you to join our community.

DeLon Canterbury

We stopped nearly 10 medications in one home visit.

This photo popped up in my memories this week, and it felt worth sharing again.

A simple visit.
A nurse caregiver.
A deprescribing pharmacist.

What we found?

Expired meds.
Duplicates.
OTCs no one had questioned in years.

Not because the family was careless.

Because polypharmacy builds quietly.

And most caregivers are doing the best they can with what they’ve been told.

That day reminded us why this work matters.

Caregivers, you are allowed to ask:

Is this still necessary
Is this increasing fall risk
When was this last reviewed

Advocating is not being difficult.
It is protecting the people you love.

When was the last time all medications were reviewed together?

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The Board of Pharmacy Specialties Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacotherapy (BCGP) pass rate is around 53%.

That’s nearly 20% lower than most other pharmacy board certifications.

I passed it on my first attempt in 2017.
I passed recertification on the first attempt again this fall.

And I was never the “natural test taker.”

So what made the difference?

I stopped studying just medications.

When I was a pharmacy manager, I saw something textbooks do not teach you:

Older adults are not just managing prescriptions.
They are navigating ageism.
Caregiver strain.
Lack of advance directives.
Antipsychotics started without consent.
Families unsure what hospice really means.

The BCGP exam tests pharmacotherapy.

It also tests whether you understand aging.

Here’s what actually moved the needle for me:
	1.	I studied what I knew the least about, not what felt comfortable.
	2.	I read primary literature and learned how to critique clinical trials.
	3.	I focused on clinical significance, not just statistical significance.
	4.	I understood capacity, guardianship, power of attorney, and patient rights.
	5.	I trained myself to see the whole person, not just the medication list.

Deprescribing matters.

But continuity of care matters more.

If you are considering board certification in geriatrics, do not let the pass rate intimidate you.

Prepare differently.

Study the uncomfortable areas.
Learn the systems.
Understand ethics.
Respect the complexity of aging.

Board certification is not just about passing an exam.

It is about becoming the kind of clinician older adults deserve.

No one warned me that building a company would test my faith more than my skill set.

This week I was invited to speak about how faith has shaped my journey in building GeriatRx 

And it made me pause.

When I started, I expected long hours and strategy pivots.

I did not expect it to deepen my faith.

Entrepreneurship strips you down to what you really believe. Not what sounds good. What you lean on when the outcome is not guaranteed.

There were moments I did not know how things would come together. Logic said slow down. Play it safe.

Faith said move.

Faith in God. Faith in myself. Faith in the vision before there was proof.

I tried to make everything make sense on paper. Work hard enough and it should work out.

But entrepreneurship does not follow clean formulas.

It requires belief before evidence. Gratitude before results. Discipline when no one is watching.

We glamorize wins here. We do not talk enough about the quiet conviction it takes to keep going when nothing looks certain.

For me, faith became the anchor.

Has entrepreneurship strengthened your faith or shaken it?

What carried you through the season where skill alone was not enough?

It’s time we stop treating heartburn like a heart attack.

Heartburn is a common complaint among aging patients. And while it is serious and should be managed appropriately, it doesn’t always require prescription medication.

Many physicians prescribe proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to patients with symptoms of acid reflux. Yet, years later these drugs are still a part of the patients daily regimen with no valid indication. 

It’s almost like we’re using these medications for preventive care of heartburn. But the fact remains that lifestyle changes are more effective at preventing heartburn. 

As a deprescribing pharmacist, I find PPI’s to be one of the most overused classes of drugs that is often unnecessary. So when I recommend tapering off these drugs, I also encourage patients to:

💊Limit high fat and spicy food
💊Avoid late night meals 
💊 Avoid lying flat after eating
💊Eat smaller, more frequent meals
💊Limit alcohol intake
💊Reduce or stop smoking

Drugs such as PPI’s are so valuable… WHEN WE NEED THEM, it's time we start limiting their use.
Applying our deprescribing tools allows us to prevent the longterm effects of improper medication use.

GeriatRx , in collaboration with The Reserve at Mills Farm  and Mark Belding , hosted our inaugural Love Your Heart Medication Safety Event this past week.

We are grateful for the residents, caregivers, and Aging-Friendly partners who joined us for an evening centered on safer, more coordinated care.

We also aired our TEDxOcala talk, The Power of Deprescribing, equipping attendees with practical questions to ask about their medications.

During open discussion, a caregiver shared a story that stayed with me.

Her 90-year-old mother had just received glowing remarks from her cardiologist about her heart health.

Two weeks later, she was in the emergency department on the verge of heart failure.

A new medication had been started by another specialist within the same health system. The cardiologist was unaware.

The emergency team initially could not identify the cause.

Once the medication was recognized and discontinued, she stabilized.

The crisis was preventable.

This is why Aging-Friendly care must be intentional. The 4Ms, What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility, must operate in coordination, not isolation.

Medication safety and deprescribing are not optional layers of care. They are safeguards.

Thank you to everyone who showed up and engaged. Conversations like these are how we prevent harm before it happens.

2X TEDx Speaker | CEO of GeriatRx, Inc. | Certified Community Pharmacogenomics (PGx) Consultant, Deprescribing Coach and Implementation Strategist, Top 50 Most Influential Pharmacists 2024, The Deprescribing Pharmacist®️

Everyone in the room had experienced medication side effects.

Not one person had ever had a one hour medication review with a pharmacist.

Yesterday we hosted our first faith based community event with White Memorial Presbyterian Church.

We reviewed real cases. High risk medications. Stacked prescriptions added over time.

When I asked who had struggled with medication side effects, almost every hand went up.

When I asked who had ever received a comprehensive aging focused medication review, not one hand did.

That is the gap.

And for many families, cost is the barrier.

So we created the GeriatRx  Foundation, our nonprofit arm dedicated to expanding access to medication safety education and deprescribing services for families who cannot afford them.

Through the Foundation, donations support:

Community workshops
Spring and summer health fairs
Medication optimization and deprescribing services
Our partnership with Breathe Studio integrating mobility and movement into whole person care

If you believe older adults deserve more than rushed appointments and unmanaged side effects, support the mission.

The link to learn more or donate will be in the comments.

Medication safety should not be a luxury.

How many “unexplained” hospitalizations in older adults are actually predictable?

Falls.
Bleeding events.
Sudden confusion.
Severe side effects from standard doses.

Not because the medication was inappropriate.
Because the metabolism was different.

Pharmacogenomic testing shows how an individual processes specific medications. Two patients can receive the same drug at the same dose and experience completely different outcomes based on genetic variation in drug metabolism.

In geriatrics, this is not theoretical.

Older adults are more likely to take multiple medications. More vulnerable to shifts in kidney and liver function. More susceptible to narrow therapeutic windows.

The margin for error is small.

PGx allows us to identify increased risk for toxicity, reduced efficacy, or dosing sensitivity before harm occurs. It strengthens deprescribing decisions and reduces trial and error prescribing.

And yet, it remains underutilized in the very population that stands to benefit most.

At GeriatRx , we order pharmacogenomic testing and provide comprehensive clinical interpretation, translating genetic data into clear, actionable medication recommendations for both patients and providers.

Precision medicine should not be aspirational.

It should be integrated into everyday care.

If pharmacogenomics were standard in geriatric practice, how much preventable medication harm could we reduce?


https://lnkd.in/eDJgAbBs

Open article: What Is Pharmacogenomics (PGx)? by Peter Friebe, PhD • 4 min read

Medication safety is not just a clinical issue. It is a quality of life issue.

I am looking forward to joining the community at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh for a Lunch and Learn on Deprescribing to Optimize Medication Use.

Too often, older adults are prescribed medications that were never reassessed, never tapered, and sometimes no longer necessary. Deprescribing is a thoughtful, evidence-based process that helps ensure medications continue to serve the patient rather than harm them.

During this session, we will discuss:

• How to recognize when a medication may no longer be appropriate
• Questions patients and caregivers can ask their providers
• The connection between medication burden, falls, cognition, and overall wellbeing
• Practical steps to support safer medication use

This will be the first of many conversations within communities as part of our Modern Aging in Place Panel initiative. Faith communities are trusted spaces, and they play a powerful role in supporting older adults and caregivers. Bringing medication safety education into these spaces is both necessary and timely.

Our goal is simple. Help people understand that their voices matter in their healthcare decisions.

If you are in the Raleigh area and want to better understand how to advocate for yourself or a loved one, I invite you to register.

Tuesday, February 24
11:30 a.m.
Registration required by February 19

Looking forward to continuing this work and expanding these conversations across the community. Dave Knier Michael Stickney Jessica Cunningham, JD, LTCCP® Keri Burnette David Sexton Bill Comfort, CSA, CLTC®, LTCCP® Lesley Gray GeriatRx Brittany Allen McKinney, PA-C Christian R. Koerner, MSN, APRN, CNS-AG, MSHCM Keira Duffy Stephanie Gill Jonathan Williams Matthew Towler

#MedicationSafety #Deprescribing #HealthyAging #AgingInPlace #HealthEquity #Geriatrics #RaleighNC

Medicare Advantage looks affordable. Until someone gets sick.

More than half of Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage. Many families do not fully understand the trade offs until care becomes complex.

This week we spoke with a family trying to choose a plan for their loved one.

The brochures promise low premiums and extra benefits.

But the real questions are different.

What happens if the specialist is out of network
What happens if rehab is denied
What happens when prior authorization delays treatment
What happens if hospital days are cut short

Insurance is not the same as access.

Many Medicare Advantage plans rely on narrower networks and utilization controls. When someone becomes medically complex, those limitations can surface quickly. Even with coverage, out of pocket costs can escalate.

This is not about fear. It is about clarity.

Healthcare should protect seniors. Not surprise them.

These choices are not theoretical. They are financial and clinical.

If you are seeing challenges with Medicare Advantage in your community, I would value your perspective below.

Open article: Medicare Advantage Is Breaking America’s Promise to Seniors | Heal CA by heal-ca.org

An older Black man sits in a medical exam room while a doctor stands behind him examining an X-ray, representing seniors navigating healthcare access and Medicare coverage.

Medicare Advantage Is Breaking America’s Promise to Seniors | Heal CA

Faith does not always move mountains.

Sometimes it moves one stone.

Yesterday we received a small grant. Not a headline. Not a viral announcement. But a real step forward toward helping the people we have been praying to reach.

When we started building this, we thought it would test our strategy.

It tested our faith.

There were moments when logic ran out. When the numbers did not make sense. When the path felt foggy. And still, we kept showing up.

Yesterday felt like confirmation.

Not that we have arrived. Not that everything is solved. But that belief, paired with consistent action, compounds.

If you are in the middle of building something and wondering if it is working, this is your reminder.

Progress does not always roar.

Sometimes it whispers, keep going.

We are grateful. And if our journey is any kind of testimony, let it be this.

Trust yourself one more day.

This is what leadership evolution looks like.

What we are seeing is more than representation.
It is influence. It is authority. It is policy proximity.

How does this happen?
Preparation. Excellence. Refusing to shrink.

Why does it matter?

Because leadership shapes standards.
Standards shape care.
Care shapes outcomes.

At GeriatRx, we are building toward that level of impact.

Not just to participate in healthcare.
But to help redefine medication safety and elevate how older adults are treated.

When do we move?

Now.

Every partnership. Every room. Every opportunity to lead.

https://lnkd.in/epnDbv_6

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

View company: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

From Johns Hopkins Surgery IG: A historic moment for our program.

For the first time in program history, our flagship Halsted service (Trauma & ACS) is led by an all-Black team of senior residents and PGY-2s.

Black individuals comprise 13% of the U.S. population but only 6% of general surgeons nationwide.

This #BlackHistoryMonth, we recognize this milestone while continuing the work to build a more representative surgical workforce.

More: https://lnkd.in/ecj59KPH

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Brittany Lamb, MD

DeLon Canterbury

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