A personalized approach to women’s health and wellness is the way

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Pursue a healthy lifestyle this month and beyond through new and personalized solutions for women.

One-size-fits-all solutions for health and wellness are a thing of the past now. Filipinas have come a long way to realizing and embracing the unique builds of their minds, bodies, even their aspirations and priorities in life.

Challenges related to women’s health and fitness are to each her own. Current healthcare systems and common wellness practices ought to develop in more ways possible to service and help women meet their evolving and exclusive health demands. In the commencement of women’s month, here are practices to consider and digital tools that can be customized and convenient to you, to better and sustain your health this season and beyond.

Personalize your diet and fitness goals

You might have heard of trendy fitspiration workout and diet plans to stay healthy and fit. But how sure are you that it suits your unique physique’s needs and capacity? What works for one individual may not for another, more so for women.

Oprah Daily said hormones influence feelings of hunger and fullness, metabolism and body fat levels that overall affect women's lifestyle.^[1] Hormone levels differ by age and reproductive or menstrual condition. Filipinas can pursue the latest intermittent fasting, ketogenic diet and calorie-counting trends to achieve their body goals, however, these should be done along with a consultation from your nutritionist or personal health providers. Approaches to your diet have to be an efficient and targeted program to achieve better and healthier results.

There are also high-tech fitness gadgets that can personalize and support your health and fitness journey, especially for female-body types. These gizmos can monitor one’s activity levels and notify workout, eating and water drinking schedules, overall helping users sustain personal diet and fitness programs.

Maximize women-focused tools and services

Thanks to technological advancements in modern society, gone are the days when women manually tracked and tested themselves for health issues. Female-focused virtual tools, in the form of mobile applications, have innovated primarily women’s reproductive, menstrual and sexual health monitoring for awareness and disease prevention. FemTech Analytics forecasted that by 2026, the Asia-Pacific region will see the world’s fastest growth in women’s health apps.^[2]

These can be period and pregnancy tracking apps available in android and iOS, which also houses teleconsultations to help women be more knowledgeable about their bodies and conscious of their hormonal status, equipping them to make informed decisions in these aspects of their wellbeing.

Meanwhile, women-centered high-tech facilities are also gaining momentum in the market and are becoming safe spaces for Filipinas to get treatment. These establishments started from serving women and assisting them through common reproductive, sexual or pregnancy issues, and has now developed to holistically address mental health and even dermatological or aesthetic needs of women. You may find a number of facilities, whether government-funded or privately listed, in many regions nationwide, especially accessible within metros in greater Manila areas.

Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy works closely with doctors and customers and considers factors such as patient age and allergy history in the process of customizing medicines to a patient’s needs.

Trust in customized medicines tailored to your specific needs

Forbes magazine revealed that Personalized Healthcare is one of the top trends in the industry this 2023, with emphasis on precision medicines that are tailored to patients based on age, genetics and other risk factors, rather than a generic approach.^[3]

For Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy (AIP), pioneer specialty compounding pharmacy in the Philippines, women may require customized dosages or delivery methods for medications related to their reproductive and hormonal health. Better and more targeted management of these can lead to stronger immunity and preventive health.

Through compounding– the science of customizing medications to a patient’s specific needs, medications can be tailored to meet their individual requirements. This process removes problem-causing excipients, adjusts dosage strengths to suit certain patients, such as infants or the elderly, adds flavors for better taste and even creates alternative form factors to make medicines easily ingestible such as lozenges, candies, gels, creams, capsules and liquid.

This month, AIP encourages Filipinas to explore Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) and Weight Loss Management solutions, two of their top categories in service of female patients.

Women who suffer from hormonal imbalances caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or menopause, common conditions of Filipinas young and old, can turn to hormone replacement therapy to treat their symptoms. BHRT is the process of replicating hormones using natural resources to supplement the body with the hormones it lacks. These can be: Thyroid Hormones Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4) that stimulate body oxygen and energy consumption, increasing basal metabolic rates; Progesterone that increases core temperature during ovulation, relaxes smooth muscle, reduces gall bladder activity, normalizes blood clotting and vascular tone, and assists in thyroid function; Melatonin that improves the circadian rhythm and induces drowsiness for better sleep; Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA that strengthens the immune system, slows the natural changes in the body that come with age and provides more energy, improving mood and memory, and building up bone and muscle strength; Pregnenolone that improves energy, vision, memory, clarity of thinking, well-being, and libido, and many others.

AIP also provides prescribed weight management offerings, including clinically proven prescription medication, Phentermine Hydrochloride + Topiramate that is used to treat obesity type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. AIP also offers various nutrients like Methionine that may assist in the breakdown of fats to help to lower cholesterol thereby preventing excess fat buildup in the liver and throughout one’s body’s circulatory system; Inositol that promotes the health of cell structures and nerve synapses in aid of the metabolism of fats, helps reduce blood cholesterol, and participates in the action of serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to control mood and appetite; Choline that supports the liver in its processing and excretion of chemical waste products; and Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B-12) that is has been shown to boost energy and overall metabolic rates, assisting in the burning of stored body fat, detoxifies the body, increase of red blood cell production, maintain a healthy liver, help regulate sleep, mood, appetite and energy, and works synergistically with other nutrients to improve health, and slow aging.

Women in healthcare supporting Filipina patients

AIP has been providing world-class health and pharmaceutical care for custom medication needs for 10 years. In the last three years, AIP’s study showed more than 70 percent of their subscribers are female patients, a significant increase of 72 percent in the number of female patients served from 2021 to 2022. The female patients’ profiles comprise of gen Z adults ages 18 and above at 53 percent, millennials ages 27 to 42 as the largest generational group at 23 percent, followed by Gen X ages 43 to 58 at 20 percent, and Boomers ages 59 to 68 at 4 percent.

AIP’s Managing Director Sofia Lista also harps on supporting women empowerment in the industry which is evident in their operations. “Many women work in the field of pharmaceutical compounding as pharmacists, technicians, or researchers, and their contributions are vital to advancing the field and improving patient care. In AIP, 66 percent of the workforce are women and hold leadership positions. Let’s celebrate the important role that women play in healthcare and medicine,” says Lista.

AIP works with female doctors who specialize in women’s health– gynecology, endocrinology and dermatology. It advocates for the pharmacy triad or finding accountability with doctors, patients and pharmacists to provide superior pharmaceutical care, strengthening patient confidence and compliance. Visit apotheca.com.ph to know more about their offerings, and follow AIP’s Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn channels.

 

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About Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy

Founded in 2014, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy™ (AIP) or Apotheca Corp. is the first standalone and largest specialty compounding pharmacy in the Philippines specializing in customized medication services. Its long-term vision is to realize a world-class and progressive integrative pharmacy to improve health and patient care for all Filipinos.

For over a decade, AIP has been providing a wide variety of quality, prescribed custom medication and nutraceuticals, while also retailing local and natural packed food, personal care, homecare, and novelty goods available nationwide and online. Its compounding services include Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), Thyroid Management, Weight Loss Management, Pain Management, Dermatology, IV Nutrition, Erectile Dysfunction Medication, Pediatrics, and Nutraceuticals.

AIP is located in Makati CBD and to date works with over 2,000 doctors and 20,000 patients and is referred by over 100 hospitals.

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^[1] https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a42860701/signs-of-hormone-imbalance/

^[2] https://www.biospectrumasia.com/opinion/30/22058/we-would-like-to-see-more-investment-in-womens-healthcare-rd-that-currently-accounts-for-only-4.html

^[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/12/06/the-top-5-healthcare-trends-in-2023/?sh=2d31fbe1565b

Fight diabetes with a healthy lifestyle and personalized health solutions

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According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Diabetes remains a major health problem in the Philippines with one for every 14 Filipino adults suffering from the disease. Currently, it is the fourth leading cause of death in the country affecting 4 million Filipinos from its complications.

With deaths from January to November 2021 alone up by 22.4 percent, the number of diabetes cases continues to rise. Projections from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an organization comprising more than 230 national diabetes associations in 170 countries and territories, place adult diabetes cases at over 5 million by 2030 and more than 7 million by 2045.

As a result, the lockdowns have negatively impacted the health of Filipinos’ limited mobility and lack of exercise in recent years including diabetes control, according to the Philippine Heart Association (PHA). Decreased activity, in particular, is behind the increase in cases of obesity, which raises the risk of diabetes.

Diabetes, if not managed properly, can cause several health complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, chronic skin conditions, and blindness. Proper treatment, medications, and even a change in lifestyle are crucial in helping curb the progression of the disease.

Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy (AIP), the country’s pioneer compounding pharmacy, joins the country in celebrating Diabetes Awareness Week and enjoins Filipinos to look after their health with its wide range of personalized health solutions for diabetes.

Managing weight to prevent and control diabetes

Obesity cases in the Philippines have been rising these past few years. Today, about 3 for every 10 Filipino adults are obese, and the incidence of obesity is expected to continue rising with the adult obesity increase rate experiencing very rapid growth.

To help Filipinos prevent obesity and decrease the risk of diabetes, AIP offers a portfolio of weight management solutions.

One of these is HCG or Human chorionic gonadotropin, which has been used for decades as part of an intensive diet plan called the HCG Diet. This is designed to help patients lose pounds of collective weight. When used by diabetic patients, it improves their health by breaking down fats to lower cholesterol levels and boost metabolism.

AIP also offers the combination medicine of Bupropion and Naltrexone to help manage weight in obese or overweight adults with weight-related medical problems. For more effective results, this medicine should be complemented by a healthy diet and regular exercise. Pregnant women and patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure, seizures, eating disorders, and opioid addiction are not advised to take this combination of medicine.

Another compounded solution for treating diabetes-related obesity is Topiramate.

For patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, AIP offers L-Carnitine, which helps the body turn fats into energy. This medication also improves brain function, heart health, muscle soreness, and L-Carnitine deficiency.

Treating diabetes-related dermatological problems

Skin problems are sometimes the first sign that a person has diabetes. Skin conditions related to bacterial and fungal infections and itching affect many Filipinos, but people with diabetes are more prone to these.

AIP provides compounded dermatological preparations tailored to a person’s skin type, needs, and preferences.

To help diabetic patients manage wounds and facilitate faster healing of wounds and skin irritations, AIP offers the Tretinoin compounded medication. This is designed to help speed up the life cycle of the skin by replacing older skin.

As high glucose levels can speed up the aging process, diabetes is said to make a patient look older than their age. For this, AIP offers a compounded Vitamin C Serum. One of the best anti-aging nutrients that can provide a smooth and glowy complexion, this medicine brightens and tightens the skin, promotes collagen reproduction, hydrates, and provides antioxidants that help reduce skin radiation.

Boosting the immune system to fight the disease

AIP’s growing portfolio of nutraceuticals serves not only to address nutrient deficiencies but also to strengthen a person’s ability to fight off diseases, including diabetes.

The pharmacy’s compounded vitamin C and zinc solutions cater to underlying health complications related to diabetes such as heart disease, high cholesterol, and skin conditions or chronic wounds that will not heal.

Vitamin C helps boost the immune system and at the same time lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and uric acid levels. For wound healing, vitamin C aids in the effective functioning of white blood cells and strengthens the skin’s defense system.

Zinc, which is essential for cell growth and division, also fortifies immune function, enzyme reactions, DNA synthesis, and protein production.

Providing better healthcare for Filipinos

AIP hopes to make a difference in Filipinos’ lives by providing access to better healthcare. With preventive measures, a healthy lifestyle, and personalized compounded solutions, AIP believes Filipinos can curb the rising cases of diabetes in the country and improve their quality of life.

AIP works closely with its patients and doctors, taking into consideration factors such as patient age and allergy history in customizing medicines to ensure high efficacy. The pharmacy believes in the pharmacy triad of doctors, patients, and pharmacists to provide superior pharmaceutical care and strengthen patient confidence and compliance.

To learn more about Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy, visit apotheca.com.ph and follow AIP’s Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn channels.