Welcome to my interview with Swathi Varanasi, PharmD: Integrative Health Pharmacist, Wellness Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker! As a podcast guest, Dr. Swathi checks all the boxes. My guests use their voices to advocate for something, educate in some way, or entertain. Dr. Swathi does all three!
✅ She’s an advocate for integrative health, preventative health, patient-centered shared decision-making, cannabis science and therapeutics, her beauty and wellness brand Elēment Apothēc, networking, entrepreneurship, personal development podcasts, and more.
✅ As an educator, she has created 3 online courses: Integrative Health 101, Cannabis Science & Therapeutics for Pharmacists, and CBD for Health & Wellness (available from Elēment Apothēc in early 2023). Plus, she has experience speaking at conferences.
✅ As an entertainer, she has appeared on several podcasts and YouTube channels and authored a book.
Listen to this episode and be inspired by the many ways in which Dr. Swathi uses her voice.
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Bio–
Dr. Swathi Varanasi, or Dr. Swathi for short, is a bilingual pharmacist specializing in integrative and preventative health. Dr. Swathi has paved the way for other healthcare professionals to pursue non-traditional career paths through creating postdoctoral residency training programs, industry internships, and online courses (Integrative Health 101 and Cannabis Science & Therapeutics for Pharmacists). She co-founded and serves as Chief Scientific Officer of the international award-winning clean beauty and wellness brand, Elēment Apothēc.
As a healthcare disruptor, she looks for opportunities to break barriers and challenge her western-trained colleagues to think beyond the conventional scope of their practice. Through the many modalities of integrative medicine and patient-centered shared decision-making, she believes that health and wellness is achievable for everyone. Emphasizing an evidence-based approach, Dr. Swathi is passionate about educating practitioners, students, patients, and consumers, and strives to empower everyone to be the best, most authentic version of themselves.
Dr. Swathi received her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy (Charleston, SC) and her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Carleton College (Northfield, MN). She is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University. Dr. Swathi serves adjunct faculty and has lectured at colleges, universities, and conference stages worldwide. She has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Yahoo, Well+Good, and mindbodygreen.
In her free time, she can be found listening to personal development podcasts, styling sustainable fashion pieces, taking long walks, paging through Architectural Digest, or planning her next trip (35 countries and counting!).
Links from this episode
Element Apothec’s Webiste www.elementapothec.com
Element Apothec’s YouTube channel
Element Apothec’s IG @elementapothec
Personal website for Swathi Varanasi, PharmD www.doctorswathi.com
Personal Instagram for Swathi Varanasi, PharmD @doctorswathi
Dr. Swathi Varanasi on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/swathi-varanasi
Integrative Health 101 | integrativehealth101.teachable.com
Listeners can use the code VOICE for 20% off. (Code is valid until 4/30/23)
Cannabis Science & Therapeutics for Pharmacists | https://medicalcannabismentor.thinkific.com/courses/copy-of-cannabis-science-and-therapeutics-for-pharmacists-1?ref=fa803a
This is the first-ever online course specifically written for pharmacists by a pharmacist on cannabis science and medicine.
CBD for Health & Wellness (online course) will be available from Element Apothec in 2023.
HARO https://www.helpareporter.com/
The Sacred Feminine by Swathi Varanasi et al
Student National Pharmaceutical Association SNPhA https://snpha.org/
Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
The University of Toledo’s Cosmetic Science & Formulation Design Program
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Highlights from our conversation
Dr. Swathi talked about how she became interested in integrative health and cannabis science and therapeutics. Her Mom is a nurse, and her Dad is an organic chemist. She knew she wanted to do something in healthcare. She was drawn to pharmacy, but innovation and entrepreneurship also interested her. She worked in a number of settings during pharmacy school. Finding the “right fit” was important; integrative and preventative medicine was a strong interest.
Mentors are important; they shape the way we think. Swathi talked about an important mentor, Dr. Pam Tarlow. Dr. Swathi advocates for patient-centered, shared decision-making.
How can you learn about Integrative Health in 2023? Try Dr. Swathi’s online course: Integrative Health 101. Topics include:
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- Homeopathy
- Adaptogens
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Superfoods
- Nutraceuticals
- Cannabis
- Therapeutic Aromatherapy
- Ayurveda
- Drug-Herb-Nutrient Interactions
- Movement, Rest, and Lifestyle
Integrative Health 101 begins with an introduction module. Therefore, there are 11 modules total. It’s self-paced, but there is a quarterly Q&A too. CPE is not included. Cost is $333 as of January 2023. Use coupon code VOICE for 20% off. (Use all capital letters for VOICE.)
Her second online course is Cannabis Science and Therapeutics for Pharmacists. You can find it through her website. This self-paced course is $399. (No coupon code for this one.)
Dr. Swathi has been a guest on many podcasts and YouTube channels. Similarly, she has contributed to Forbes Health, Pharmacy Times, Drug Topics, GoodRX, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, and more. According to Dr. Swathi, HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is a great way to be featured as an expert in a publication. She has found opportunities through HARO. For more information, visit https://www.helpareporter.com/.
Dr. Swathi enjoys networking and encourages pharmacists and pharmacy students to network too. Almost 3 years ago (March 2020), Dr. Swathi and I first met via Zoom after she “cold-DM’ed” me. We have kept in touch, and now she’s one of my podcast guests! 👏👏👏
Networking (in LA) is also how Swathi met the co-founder of her CBD brand Elēment Apothēc. They launched November 2020. It’s not just a CBD brand; it’s a wellness brand. Dr. Swathi innovates products and works with her medical advisory team. She also educates students, providers, and consumers. Look for Element Apothec’s online course called CBD for Health & Wellness in early 2023.
Internships help practitioners learn. Dr. Swathi created an internship program for Elēment Apothēc. Internship students include PharmD students, nutrition students, and dental students. Among other things, they learn about medical writing, professional development, and project management. Her next cohort will have 2-6 students.
Public speaking is one of Dr. Swathi’s skills. She recently spoke at a menopause summit about the use of cannabis in perimenopause and menopause. Email swathi@doctorswathi.com for speaking inquiries.
Dr. Swathi is bilingual. She speaks Spanish and English. During her undergrad program at Carleton College, she studied abroad (Madrid and Ecuador). She loves to travel and was a summer intern in Lima, Peru for a mobile clinic organization. She worked with Peruvian pharmacists in the pharmacy. One of Dr. Swathi’s proudest achievements in pharmacy school was founding a bilingual Diabetes Education Program at a free clinic in the Charleston, SC area.
Through the power of collaboration with other women, Dr. Swathi authored The Sacred Feminine. According to Dr. Swathi, the theme is, “Be the best version of yourself…and what that can mean from different perspectives.”
Dr. Swathi loves personal development podcasts. She is also finds architecture and urban design fascinating. Therefore, she loves the podcast 99% invisible, which is about all the things that we don’t notice about daily life. She recommends listening to the episode on the history of air conditioning. Another favorite podcast is How I built this (host Guy Raz). Dr. Swathi finds it inspiring.
Thank you for listening to The Pharmacist’s Voice ® Podcast Episode 195!