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Talk to Your Pharmacist is a podcast for pharmacists, student pharmacists, and others across the country to hear from industry leaders about their leadership stories and current healthcare topics. The Talk to Your Pharmacist podcast was founded and hosted by pharmacist, Dr. Hillary Blackburn.
Clinical Implementation of Pharmacogenetic Testing with Mary Relling
In this episode, our guest is Mary V. Relling, Pharm.D. Emerita Member, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN. Dr. Relling earned her undergraduate B.S. degree from the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and her doctoral degree from the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. She completed post-doctoral fellowships with Dr. William Evans at St. Jude and with Dr. Urs Meyer at University of Basel. She joined St. Jude as a faculty member in 1988, and was chair of
the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences from 2003-2020. She was also a professor at the University of Tennessee in the Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. Her primary interests are in the treatment and pharmacogenetics of childhood leukemia and in the clinical implementation of pharmacogenetic testing in medicine. Dr. Relling is co-founder of CPIC, the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium. She has published over 450 original scientific manuscripts. She was elected to the Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Medicine) in 2009.
Topics to discuss:
Foundations & Career Journey
You’ve had an extraordinary career at St. Jude since joining in 1988. What first drew you to pediatric pharmacology and pharmacogenetics?
Your work has helped shape how we treat childhood leukemia. What do you see as the most transformative advancements in this space over your career?
Pharmacogenetics & CPIC
You co-founded the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC). What was the impetus behind its creation, and how has its mission evolved?
What do you see as the biggest barriers to widespread clinical implementation of pharmacogenetic testing today?
How do you respond to skepticism about the clinical utility of pharmacogenetic testing in everyday medical practice?
Which pharmacogenetic guidelines do you believe have had the most significant clinical impact so far—and why?
What advice do you have for institutions that want to start implementing pharmacogenetic testing but don’t know where to begin?
Implementation in Clinical Settings
At St. Jude, you helped lead efforts to integrate pharmacogenetic testing into clinical care. What lessons did you learn about operationalizing this work in real-world settings?
How important is interdisciplinary collaboration—between pharmacists, physicians, geneticists—in making pharmacogenetic testing work in practice?
Can you share an example where pharmacogenetic testing changed the course of treatment for a pediatric patient?
Policy, Ethics, and Future Vision
What policy or regulatory changes would help accelerate the clinical adoption of pharmacogenetic testing?
As someone who has contributed extensively to the science, how do you think we should balance data privacy with the need for clinical data sharing in genomics?
What are you most excited about in the future of pharmacogenetics? Are there particular therapeutic areas or technologies that you think will drive the next wave of innovation?
Legacy & Advice
You’ve mentored many rising leaders in the field. What qualities do you think are most important for the next generation of pharmacogenomics researchers and clinicians?
With over 450 publications and a career that has changed pediatric pharmacology, what legacy do you hope your work leaves behind?
Guest: Mary V. Relling, Pharm.D. Emerita Member, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Host: Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA
www.hillaryblackburn.com (http://www.pharmacyadvisory.com)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-blackburn-67a92421/)
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ (https://www.patreon.com/talktoyourpharmacist)
23 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT
Personalized Medicine & Longevity- The Power of Compounding in Modern Wellness with Kate Campbell
In this episode, our guest is Kate Campbell, PharmD, who serves as the Director of Pharmacy at Olympia Pharmacy. She is a proud alumna of the University of Florida, graduating Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a doctorate in pharmacy. Dr. Campbell's previous work experiences in retail and hospital pharmacy have led to a passion for whole-person care and preventive medicine, prompting her shift towards compounding. In her pursuit, she has become a certified hormone replacement therapy specialist with a focus on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for females.
In her personal time, Kate loves connecting with her family and friends. She especially enjoys getting out on the water, playing pickleball and trying new restaurants.
1. Opening & Background
Kate, welcome to the show! Can you start by sharing your journey into pharmacy and what ultimately drew you toward compounding and personalized medicine?
You’ve worked in both retail and hospital settings before moving into compounding—what gaps did you notice in traditional pharmacy that compounding helps to fill?
How did your education at the University of Florida shape your path and perspective on whole-person care?
2. Understanding Compounding & Regulatory Landscape
For listeners who may not be familiar, can you explain the difference between 503A and 503B compounding pharmacies?
What are some of the key compliance and quality distinctions between these two types of operations?
Olympia Pharmacy operates under a 503B designation—what advantages does that provide in terms of scalability, safety, and product consistency?
How do you see the role of compounding evolving as more patients seek individualized therapies?
3. Hormone Replacement & Preventive Medicine
You’re a certified hormone replacement therapy specialist, focusing on bioidentical hormones for women. What drew you to that niche?
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about bioidentical hormone therapy?
How do you personalize treatment for women across different stages of life—perimenopause, menopause, and beyond?
What are the key questions women should ask their providers when considering hormone replacement therapy?
4. Longevity & Wellness Trends
Longevity is becoming a buzzword in healthcare. From your vantage point, what longevity-focused products or therapies are worth the hype—and which are not?
What innovations are you most excited about in the patient wellness space for the upcoming year?
How is Olympia Pharmacy staying ahead of emerging trends—whether it’s peptides, nootropics, or nutraceuticals?
5. GLP-1s and Post-Therapy Care
GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide have transformed weight management—but we’re seeing challenges after patients discontinue them.
What strategies or compounded therapies are helping patients maintain results post-GLP-1 use?
How can pharmacists play a role in supporting metabolic health and sustainability beyond the initial weight-loss phase?
6. Leadership, Lifestyle & Personal Balance
As a director and pharmacist, how do you balance the science of pharmacy with the art of patient care?
You’ve mentioned enjoying pickleball, the water, and exploring new restaurants—how do you recharge outside of work?
What advice would you give to other pharmacists looking to explore nontraditional or entrepreneurial paths in pharmacy?
7. Closing
What’s next for you and Olympia Pharmacy?
How can listeners connect with you or learn more about the services Olympia offers?
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ (https://www.patreon.com/talktoyourpharmacist)
31 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT
Investing in Impact: How Healthcare Innovation Can Transform Patient Outcomes with Sam Libby
Sam Libby, President of TCB Capital Advisors, discusses healthcare investment, assesses innovations in oncology, women's health, and digital health, and shares insights on balancing financial success with patient outcomes in an interview with Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA.
Inside a recent episode
Clinical Implementation of Pharmacogenetic Testing with Mary Relling
Published 30 Dec 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Jude get their genetic testing done to be able to identify the best drugs or what does that look like? Right. So, yeah, the goal is to have every single patient have their DNA tested, you know, my dream is that every individual would be tested at birth. So we know that there's heel stick tests, blood tests done on babies, newborn babies for a handful of rare metabolic disorders. There's no technical reason that that couldn't be expanded to do a genetic test that includes all of the actionable pharmacogenes, because now the data show that 100% of people have at least one actionable pharmacogene. […]
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