Close-Up Talk Radio spotlights Virginia French, PharmD

Wichita, KS – Visit your local pharmacy to pick up a prescription and most likely it will come with information warning you how the drugs may interact with other drugs you take. Though this information seems basic, it is extremely necessary. If a doctor makes a mistake, the consequences could be severe.

35 years ago the understanding of how drugs interact with each other wasn’t as sophisticated as it is today. This was especially true in the state of Kansas. That all changed when Virginia “Ginger” French became the first doctor of pharmacy in the state of Kansas.

“There’s a saying: ‘If you’re going to Kansas, set your watch back 20 years.’ says French. “Pharmacy departments were very different. It wasn’t as scientific which put people at risk for no reason.”

A trailblazing pharmacist and educator, French has personally seen the evolution of her field. In many ways she has been responsible for it.

“You have to be very detail oriented to be a pharmacist. It requires precise calculations,” says French. “I’m just fascinated by this information and I want to do the right thing so I put the time into it.”

As a doctor of pharmacy (or PharmD), French understood both the chemistry and the physiology, the drug and the patient. French bears the distinction of being the first pharmacist ever to round with physicians.

Though an injury forced French to retire from her position in 2010, today she is a seasoned investor for French and French, applying the same scientific approach to her investments she did as a PharmD. While her investments are diversified, with her firsthand knowledge of the various stages of clinical investigation and medical research, French’s portfolio includes some major pharmaceutical companies as well as speculative drugs that could one day help millions.