A day in a life of A Herbal Pharmacist

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My name is Eva Zadah and I am one of the herbal pharmacists working for Health Matters, a very popular herbal pharmacy that supports the public with consultations, tinctures and supplements. We also make up orders for other professional herbalists. 

Paul Michael, the owner and founder of Health Matters treats complicated cases whatever the illness or medicinal issues.

A herbal business

Health Matters is a family business run for over 15 years with lots of love and hard work put in to it. They were open through Covid helping the public and still give antivirals as a house product along with sleep medicines and kids cough and cold medicines including protocols for a wide range of conditions, from anti-fungals to liver support, from relaxation blends to vertigo.

As herbal pharmacists , we also offer mini consultations over the counter. I work alongside other herbal pharmacists and homeopaths together with the lovely shop staff that run the shop and provide special orders.

A day in the life

A regular day for me is as follows:

I unpack the tinctures from our supplier into glass bottles for freshness, we have a range that is specific for our orders, recording batch numbers, then I make a supply of the house products ready for the day, we have regulars that come for specific house products and we always try to have them ready. I go through the messages and the orders waiting that day. Often there are lots of questions from Paul’s clients which we go through,  and then advise accordingly.

Having a consultation does involve a very in depth discussion and there is a lot of information to remember, often including a new diet plan and the philosophies behind why it is so important.

Then lots of pouring blends for orders on the telephone. Each client reorders medicines till next appointment, and their prescription is followed carefully, usually we give out two or three weeks’ worth at a time. We can have some clients wanting two months’ worth which takes a bit of concentration to make. Many times, clients come in to the shop floor ordering at the pharmacy for me to make up there and then. I have to put aside the telephone job for later in order to accommodate the instant order from the shop floor with possibly a second or third walk-in that needs to collect their order within the hour, so my job involves a bit of a juggling act, but most of the time it works out fine. 

Clinic

Some days are Paul’s clinic days and that’s when there’s a lot of customer care needed with, for example, discussions on diet and how to take the medicines in the best way, also going through supplements and how best to take them, it’s important as some are taken on an empty stomach and some of them need to be taken in a specific way. 

Many people come to us for advice on all sorts of health matters. Most common issues are with strong medicines such as omeprazole and statins, some are symptoms such as stomach issues, ulcers and reflux. Parasitic medicine requests are also popular. Often, older patients need support with medication due to polypharmacy, it can be tricky to help them but usually Paul’s 20 year experience saves the day. Also hair thinning is a big issue people need help with, and menopause. Some people are asking about detoxing from vaccines which is one of a wave of similar requests we get asked as well as specific unusual herbs from far away lands, so I often think there must be something going around social media that is spreading a similar idea of herbal medicine.

Tinctures

People come to us with many questions needing lots of help and that’s lovely. Lots of people have never taken tinctures and don’t really know what they are, some are pleasantly surprised that such a thing exists while also needing a little explanation on what a tincture is and how it’s made usually helps and lots are just pleasantly surprised to find an old style herbal apothecary. The display of our loose herbs often makes people smile and they can get a little excited about the possibilities. 

The personal touch

We get a lot of referrals from happy clients and we enjoy learning alongside our work to answer their questions. It’s just a shame that some use our knowledge and expertise then leave without purchasing our products that we recommend. Buying on-line might be a cheaper option but there’s no expertise, follow ups or safety advice given.

We are a busy practice and connect with lots of people, being one of the main large herbal pharmacies open in North London. We aim to have prescriptions made up and ready within three to four days and we are more than happy to blend prescriptions from professional herbalists for their clients. We work closely with our suppliers to make sure we have a regular supply of our working herbs.

It’s such a joy to make the medicine, and then give the formulas knowing they will be sent out and will do their magic.

With us you are getting a lot of our experience poured into every bottle, of course, all approved by the owner, the endobiogenic herbalist Paul Michael. 

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About Eva:

Eva Zadah MNIMH, herbalist, dispenser, crystal healer, tarot reader, maker of amulets and talismans in silver, brass and stone. Healing and spirit together. Enjoy the unfolding of the journey.

If you’d like to find out more, contact: Health Matters, The Spires Shopping Centre, High Barnet, EN5 5XY. Phone: 0208 441 8335