Pharmacist Launches YouTube Channel to Educate Patients, Involve Students

Pharmacy Times spoke with Seth Heldenbrand, PharmD, associate dean at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Pharmacy, about how he founded the YouTube channel Rx Learn and what it offers for patients.

Heldenbrand said many patients sign away their right to counseling at the pharmacy without even realizing it, often because they’re in a rush or are not aware of what they’re signing. In an effort to provide that missing information, Heldenbrand worked with other staff and students at the UAMS College of Pharmacy to launch Rx Learn, a YouTube channel with individual videos dedicated to commonly prescribed medications.

Although providing patient counseling is one approach, Heldenbrand said pharmacists could tackle many issues on YouTube, where many patients are turning for information. Heldenbrand’s biggest piece of advice was not to focus on the production quality and to focus more on the information. Highly polished videos actually tend to be distrusted, Heldenbrand said, and as accessible health care providers, pharmacists are in a great position to spread much-needed information.