Getting Started

The Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement (BHRT) program at Hawthorne Pharmacy was created to help patients and prescribers establish natural hormone replacement therapies that are patient specific.

1.) Patient Education 
At Hawthorne Pharmacy we believe the more health knowledge you have the more power you have over your health. We recommend that you first educate yourself about conditions related to hormone imbalance such as menopause or andropause and their relative treatment options. The following reading material is suggested for patients as well as health care providers. You might start with Dr. John Lee's book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About  Menopause," or "HRT Solutions" by Marla Alhgrimm. If you are looking for a short, informative and easy to read book about BHRT try "Natural Hormone Replacement" by Dr. Jonathan Wright MD. Many women may relate to Suzanne Somers book, "The Sexy Years" which has brought bioidentical hormones onto center stage. You can also reference books written by other BHRT experts such as Drs., Susan Rako, Eugene Shippen, and Christiane Northrup. We have placed a lot of information and common questions on our Frequently Asked Questions  page and suggest all patients review that information thoroughly. We also offer seminars that provide an in-depth review of the BHRT.

2.) Medical History/Hormone Evaluation Form and Saliva Testing 
Once you have become familiar with BHRT and would like to proceed with our BHRT program, click on the following link for our BHRT Evaluation Form. This is a secure form that will be viewed by a compounding pharmacist within 48-72 hours of completion. If you do not have access to a computer these form are available in our pharmacy.  You can mail, fax or drop this form by any of our locations.

This form reviews the following: current/past medical history, current/past medications, diet, exercise, current symptoms, and much more. Then, based on the information you provide, a pharmacist will determine if it is necessary for saliva hormone testing. While saliva hormone testing is effective at detecting deficiencies and imbalances it isn't always necessary for successful hormone replacement outcomes.

Hawthorne Pharmacy is an approved distributor for Diagnostechs Test Kits, which we distribute freely for our patients interested in testing their hormone levels. You can take the kit with you and collect the saliva sample in the privacy of your home. Then you fill out the accompanying material and choose which hormones levels to be measured. For the basic 5 panel test the cost is $95 and you pay when you send it to the lab. You send the saliva sample directly to Diagnostechs in a pre-paid mailer and the results are returned to us in 10-14 business days. One of our pharmacists will then contact you to set up a consultation if needed.

3.) Consultation 
Once we have your completed confidential BHRT evaluation form, and saliva test results (if available), one of our pharmacists will be happy to conduct a comprehensive hormonal consultation and evaluation. During this evaluation, we will review your personal history, family history, current medical situation as well as signs and symptoms associated with hormone imbalance. Then we will provide additional information concerning the principles of bioidentical hormone replacement, answer all your questions and discuss all your health care concerns and goals. Finally our pharmacists will make appropriate hormone dosing recommendations, explain the remaining steps necessary to initiate BHRT and the process of ongoing BHRT management. There is a consultation fee of $80.00,payable at time of visit.  The averagetime for consult is approximately 45 minutes. You will receive one free follow-up during the first 90 days oftherapy.  Any additional follow-ups thatrequire a recommendation to your practitioner will be $45 per recommendation.

4.) Prescription 
BHRT requires a prescription so we will put together a customized plan complete with dosing recommendations, saliva test results, and your confidential evaluation. You are welcome to take this plan with you, but most of our patients prefer we fax or mail this information directly to their health care provider. We recommend that you initiate and maintain your BHRT program through your current health care provider, for she/he is aware of your general state of health and will monitor other conditions beyond hormonal imbalance. Most practitioners are receptive to the BHRT plan we prepare, but we can also help you find a health care provider that works with BHRT.

Once your health care provider has reviewed your BHRT plan, he or she will contact our pharmacists to approve or deny the recommendation. If your physician requires additional information we will be happy discuss these issues with them directly. All this is done to take the hassle out of patients having to go back and forth between the pharmacist and the physician. Once the approval for therapy is given, hormone replacement can begin.

5.) Follow-Up and Ongoing BHRT Management 
BHRT is not a quick fix and requires monitoring and tweaking during the first 3 months to one year to ensure a patient's continued hormonal balance. To maintain this balance ongoing BHRT management is essential because as you age your body changes and your hormone requirements change too. Our pharmacists are there to discuss any changes that you may be experiencing and we have created a Confidential Follow-Up Form or you can leave a message on our BHRT Voicemail (Sunset-794-7990 ext.1006) or (Taylor 256-3440 ext. 6102). When changes need to be made to your therapy we can contact your physicians and recommend the appropriate adjustments. Finally, in addition to taking your BHRT prescriptions, we promote the important contribution of healthy lifestyle choices and proper nutritional supplements to achieve optimal results.

If you are currently on or considering the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and you think individualized BHRT makes more sense than a one-size fits all approach, then please visit our Bhrt Evaluation Form.  This is a confidential form that will be reviewed by a pharmacist.  Once this information is submitted, you will be contacted within 48-72 hours.