Natalie Hunter: Pharmacist dedicated to being bridge between doctors and patients

For Natalie Hunter, it was the latter.

She became the regional director of pharmacy services for UnityPoint Health in Waterloo and Marshalltown in May 2020 at the height of the pandemic. As doctors tried to gain a full grasp of the virus, Hunter and her colleagues were trying to adjust to guidelines that advised one thing in the morning and something completely different by day’s end.

“It definitely had its stressful moments and large learning curves. But the thing about it is, I felt like I was learning along with the rest of the country,” Hunter said. “There was new treatment coming out every day. There were different recommendations coming out even hourly at one point. Some things would change in the morning, and then in the afternoon it would be completely different.”

There were further problems in the early stages with supply chain issues, which required quick thinking and creativity on the part of Hunter and the pharmacy staff. Getting through it required the full cooperation and talent of her team, and as the pandemic continued it was their job to distribute vaccines and boosters to their patients. According to Hunter, they ended up delivering over 12,000 doses in 2021.

“It was a big learning experience,” she said. “I have adaptability as one of my strengths so I kind of can roll with it a little bit better, and I leaned into that strength, I’d say, during that pandemic time.”

Hunter, 37, has been chosen as one of The Courier’s 20 Under 40 honorees.

As the pharmacy director, Hunter oversees all hospital operations in her department, and she’s come to realize that medications touch every aspect of health care. Overseeing the operations at hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers and retail pharmacies brings its share of challenges, with pharmacists working with nurses and doctors. It’s far more than just dispensing pills.

“That is a very, very common perception is that we’re just putting pills from a big bottle to a little bottle – kind of a pharmacy joke. But pharmacists are super-integral and important as part of the health care team,” Hunter said. “We’re truly the medication experts, so we’re looking for interactions and allergies and making sure you’re on the most appropriate medication for what disease you have.”

Another major part of their work, Hunter explained, is being a bridge between doctors and patients. It’s their job to make sure the patients are being prescribed the right medicine, that the patients are taking it properly and that the patients have the means to afford the medications they need.

“You’d be surprised at how many people, they just take it because their doctor said to. So that’s kind of a big rock in my book, is to make sure patients truly understand the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of their medicine and then are able to afford it, as well.”

Her work has not escaped pharmacist Beth Nichols, who submitted her recommendation for 20 Under 40 honors. Standing out was Hunter’s decision to add pharmacy staff on even during a workplace shortage, as well as her efforts to promote education and engage in HIV prevention programs.

“She is not only active in our organization, but she truly cares about her frontline staff. She is dedicated to creating a positive and fun culture which is refreshing to work in,” Nichols said. “She is active in initiatives to increase access to medication in our community, especially around out-of-pocket costs for patients during these tough times.”