Part 2: Who is valium really for?
The benzo stopgap for shared pain, and other "wonder drugs" we haven't fully reckoned with
Hi there! I’m Daphne, a pharmacist and writer for life. After graduating from pharmacy school, I spent two decades balancing part-time clinical work with raising my four kids. About five years ago, I began freelance medical writing while working in oncology infusion. Writing and med comms have become a joyful second career that blends science, storytelling, and service. I’m endlessly curious, a bit of a maverick when problem-solving, and driven to find a way through hard things, always with collaboration and care as core principles.
If you’re looking for a writer or health comms team builder who brings heart, curiosity, and follow-through to every project, I’d love to connect.
My Services
- Medical writing and content management
- Health reporting and narrative journalism
- Patient and HCP education
- Needs assessments and proposals
- Social media and creative storytelling
9 Clozapine Side Effects: Everything You Need to Know - GoodRx
Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition. Living with schizophrenia or loving someone who has this condition can make everyday life challenging. But with treatment and support, symptoms can be managed so that you can live a healthy and full life. Medications are an important part of treatment. Clozapine (Clozaril, Versacloz) is an oral atypical antipsychotic that’s FDA approved to treat severe schizophrenia.
We have the receipts (but we probably shouldn’t touch them)
Hey Medcart readers!Pharmacies are where we go to fix what ails us, not expose ourselves to new health problems. But a familiar and seemingly harmless product behind the counter continues to concern a whole host of people:I’m talking about receipts.Some researchers say these little slips of paper may contain chemicals linked to health risks. But where does this fear come from, and how worried should you actually be?The paper trailConcerns surrounding receipts first surfaced years ago during the...
Fashion started out fun. What happened?
Last May, unsure how to ‘sell myself’ while job‑hunting, I wondered if a makeover might help. My old mom look—clearance clothes that never fit well, worn‑out yoga pants, mom jeans and turtlenecks—might not say “please hire me.” But it quickly became me thinking less about clothes and more about who gets to decide what being ‘put together’ should look like.
Should I take Fosamax for osteoporosis if I feel fine?
TL/DR: Fosamax is the brand name of alendronate, a first-choice oral tablet prescribed for osteoporosis. Lifestyle approaches always matter for bone health. But people with osteoporosis often benefit from medication to lower the risk of painful bone breaks.
What a startling new statistic reveals about your local pharmacy
Hey MedCart readers,Today, I want to talk about a serious but essential topic: The mental health of pharmacists, including the very real risk of self-harm.A few weeks ago, a study published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP) found that male pharmacists and female technicians have higher suicide rates than the general population. This retrospective study was based on CDC mortality data from 2011 to 2022.Coauthor Kelly Lee, Pharm.D., highlighted the “unique strains” of pharma...
In Conversation with Juliette Mansour, Creator of The Additional f‑Stop
With the winter doldrums setting in, I’m excited to kick off a new interview series with photography artists and thrilled to start with Juliette Mansour. She’s a writer, photographer, and self-described “artist in perpetual training.” I say she’s also a sharer of the type of gifts that keep on giving.
Should I use the estradiol patch for night sweats? - THE MIDST
This is not a story about how an estradiol patch will fix everything. This is about how confusing perimenopause still is and how easy it is to mistake hormonal chaos for a menopausal hormonal decline. This is especially true in a moment when menopause advice is louder, more confident, and more commercial than ever.
Everything you think you know about iron deficiency is (probably) wrong
Body, meet iron: known on the periodic table as Fe, short for the Latin ferrum, which means “firmness.” Iron is a mineral that makes up most of the earth’s core and sustains life in nearly every plant and animal, including us.Iron is a precious metal for life. It’s not only critical for bringing oxygen to tissues throughout the body, iron is needed for a host of other processes, including energy production, immune regulation, and DNA synthesis.Most of the 3 to 4 grams in our bodies is tucked int...
Inside the FDA Drug Development Process: The Limits of Clinical Trials in Preventing Side Effects - MedShadow Foundation
Each year, a select group of novel new drugs enter the U.S. market. In 2023, 55 new drugs were approved—adding to the more than 20,000 prescription drugs already in circulation.
The process of evaluating and approving new drugs dates back to the 1960s, when the FDA began requiring evidence of a drug’s safety and efficacy based on data collected in multi-phase controlled clinical trials.
As the decades have passed, the FDA has refined and reformed its process, with important efforts being m...
The process of evaluating and approving new drugs dates back to the 1960s, when the FDA began requiring evidence of a drug’s safety and efficacy based on data collected in multi-phase controlled clinical trials.
As the decades have passed, the FDA has refined and reformed its process, with important efforts being m...
Using the pharma rep model for good
Pharmaceutical reps are a constant presence in clinics. They’re personable, patient, and persistent, often arriving with samples, food, and branded supplies. Over time, the staff gets to know them, trust them, and value their help. Interactions between reps and prescribers are educational and collegial, but they’re also strategic. And there’s a name for this strategy: pharmaceutical detailing.Pharmaceutical detailing relies on relationships. Sales reps build one-on-one connections with prescribe...
Thriving with your new baby during Wisconsin’s long winter slog
A similar version of this piece was first published in 2023 in the Musical Pathways school parenting blog, where I originally wrote it as a board member. I’m updating and moving some of my parenting stories here. The holiday lights are flickering off and it’s back to the normal, everyday EVERY DAY. It’s January. If you’ve spent a few winters in Wisconsin, you know there’s no end in sight to the blustery bite of winter … regardless of whether some chosen groundhog sees its shadow next month. And...
A midlife refusal to be remade for anyone else’s comfort
This is for every woman who’s been told she’s “too something” at the exact moment her life was expanding. I’m purposefully not putting any pictures of myself or any other women in this piece. Women already have too many in their own heads, often at the expense of the very special one they truly are right now, no makeover needed.At 51, I feel a lot like I did at 17: like I’m too much, and everyone wants me to go back to who I was before. At 17, you become “too much.” Too sexy, too bitchy, too kno...
This is not a story about how an estrogen patch will fix everything
This is not a story about how an estrogen patch will fix everything.It’s about how confusing perimenopause still is and how easy it is to mistake hormonal chaos for a menopausal hormonal decline. This is especially true in a moment when menopause advice is louder, more confident, and more commercial than ever.When I was the youngest in my group of mom friends, the older women used to talk about something they called “the change before the change.” It sounded ominous and vague, and I didn’t fully...
Debunking the myth of the 80-125% rule
Last week we posted about the 80-125% rule, which is a statistical criterion used by FDA to determine if a generic drug is bioequivalent to its brand-name counterpart. It’s a common misconception that the rule allows the generic drug to contain 80% to 125% of the active ingredient. Here, Daphne breaks down the science behind what it actually means.
Last week we posted about the 80-125% rule, which is a statistical criterion used by FDA to determine if a generic drug is bioequivalent to its bran...
Last week we posted about the 80-125% rule, which is a statistical criterion used by FDA to determine if a generic drug is bioequivalent to its bran...
Why Pharmacies Are Disappearing, And What We Lose When They Do - MedShadow Foundation
From 18th-century apothecaries to modern drive-thru drug stores, pharmacies have evolved in form, but their central purpose has stayed constant: They serve as community centers to help people navigate medications with confidence, safety, and support.
Every day, pharmacists play a critical role in preventing medication errors and helping people use their prescriptions and receive vaccines safely. While it’s clear that pharmacies are vital to public health and integral to healthcare in general,...
Every day, pharmacists play a critical role in preventing medication errors and helping people use their prescriptions and receive vaccines safely. While it’s clear that pharmacies are vital to public health and integral to healthcare in general,...
What is the 80-125% Rule?
Hi Medcart friends,This week’s topic comes from MedShadow’s senior reporter, Emma Yasinski. Every time Emma posts a video about generic drugs, people jump into the comments saying their doctor, pharmacist, or “someone they trust” told them generics are allowed to have 80–125% of the active ingredient compared with the brand.That’s incorrect and its a common misunderstanding. Generics must contain the same amount of the active ingredient as the brand-name version. But, and it’s a big but, excipie...
What Are Benzodiazepines? 10 FAQs About How Benzos Work - GoodRx
Benzodiazepines, or “benzos” for short, are a group of medications that treat several health conditions. They’re considered anxiolytics because they treat anxiety, and since they have sedative effects, they can be useful for sleep issues. They also treat panic disorder, seizures, and alcohol withdrawal.Every year, tens of millions of people in the U.S. fill a benzodiazepine prescription. Though these medications can be effective, they come with several risks. Below, we’ll answer 10 frequently as...
What Is Step Therapy? And Why It Might Delay Your Medication - MedShadow Foundation
Navigating the healthcare system to get the care you or a loved one needs can be challenging. Just when you think you’ve cleared the hardest parts — finding the right provider, getting an accurate diagnosis, and choosing a treatment plan — your insurance company can throw in a surprise roadblock by denying coverage for a prescribed medication. One possible reason? A policy called step therapy.
Step therapy is a requirement that makes people try a lower-cost or insurance-preferred medication b...
Step therapy is a requirement that makes people try a lower-cost or insurance-preferred medication b...
Antidepressants: Types, Efficacy And Side Effects
Psychotherapy is a first-choice treatment for mild depression, says Dr. Doumas, but in some cases, antidepressant medication is prescribed alongside talk therapy. When depression is at a moderate to severe level, experts say that a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy is almost always needed.
There are five types of oral antidepressant medications FDA approved for depression. SSRIs are usually the best antidepressant to start with if you’re newly diagnosed with depression,...
There are five types of oral antidepressant medications FDA approved for depression. SSRIs are usually the best antidepressant to start with if you’re newly diagnosed with depression,...
Growth Hormone Therapy: The History of GH-Deficiency Treatments - GoodRx
Human growth hormone is an essential protein produced by your body. It helps kids grow, and it has several other functions throughout life. For example, it helps control blood glucose (sugar) and fat levels, maintain muscle and bone strength, and control fat distribution.Growth hormone deficiency is a rare health condition. It occurs when the body doesn’t make enough growth hormone. Growth hormone injections are a common treatment. Here, we’ll discuss growth hormone therapy in depth — its histor...
Does "meno-washing" trivialize women's health?
Hi Medcart readers! If you’re anywhere near perimenopause (like Leah and I), you’ve probably noticed your social media algorithm has quietly shifted its pitch. It’s not just ads for expensive beauty products anymore — now it’s beauty for menopause. There are moisturizers, supplements, meal services, telehealth (oh my!), and they’re all marketed with promises about sleep, sex, skin, mood, and anything else that might hint at aging like a woman.There’s a name for this: Meno-washing. It’s a marketi...
How Long Does Tizanidine Last in Your System? - GoodRx
Tizanidine (Zanaflex) is a muscle relaxer that’s prescribed to relieve muscle spasticity, a condition that causes tight, stiff muscles. It’s available as tablets or capsules, which may be taken up to 3 times a day. Tizanidine stays in your system for about half a day. But that doesn’t mean it’s actually effective for that long. Read on to learn more about how long tizanidine stays in your system and what factors affect how long it takes for the muscle relaxer to wear off.Tizanidine stays in your...
UW Clinical Trials Institute | The Side Effects of Inequality: How Lack of Diversity in Clinical Trials Affects Drug Effectiveness and Safety
By Daphne Berryhill, Med Shadow Foundation
Medication is a core component of patient care. Most adults regularly take some prescription drugs, and most also agree, according to a 2024 public opinion poll by KFF, that new drug therapies make people’s lives better.
Access to safe and effective medications should be available to all, but equitable access often falls short. Marginalized groups, who often face higher rates of chronic disease, frequently encounter barriers to obtaining medications, su...
Medication is a core component of patient care. Most adults regularly take some prescription drugs, and most also agree, according to a 2024 public opinion poll by KFF, that new drug therapies make people’s lives better.
Access to safe and effective medications should be available to all, but equitable access often falls short. Marginalized groups, who often face higher rates of chronic disease, frequently encounter barriers to obtaining medications, su...
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