‘Patients First’ Is My Mission … So OSRX^® Is My Compounding Pharmacy

By Robert F. Melendez, MD

After completing his ophthalmology residency in 2004, Dr. Robert F. Melendez performed nearly 15,000 cataract and refractive surgeries during the next 16 years at his first practice as a partner. He became one of the highest volume ophthalmic surgeons in the U.S. and the first in Albuquerque, NM to offer Laser Cataract Surgery (LenSx®) and SMILE. During this period, he also earned an MBA from the University of New Mexico, founded the Juliette RP Vision Foundation (named after his mom who suffered with Retinitis Pigmentosa) and served as a Lieutenant Colonel and flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and New Mexico Air National Guard. Then in 2020, he opened his own practice, The Juliette Eye Institute.

My practice is founded on the belief that the company behind the product must deliver great customer service and every patient should have a personalized care plan for both their eye condition and eye surgery. We focus on getting to know our patients and connecting with them, not transactions or numbers. This “patients first” philosophy is what led us to enlist OSRX^® as our compounding pharmacy.

At first, I was a slow adopter of compounded drugs. We initially used a prominent compounding pharmacy (other than OSRX) that was fine, but there must be more than just a quality product. If the product meets our standards but the customer service does not, that impacts my ability to get the drug in the patient’s hand in a timely fashion before surgery.

When I opened the Juliette Eye Institute, we began our relationship with OSRX^® as our compounding pharmacy.  We expect to deliver an exceptional patient experience, and OSRX helps us consistently check that box.

(OMNI by OSRX^®) drops are convenient for the patient, easy to use, and affordable. Patients love it and don’t have to go to the pharmacy. In fact, patients who’ve had previous surgery elsewhere and then come to our surgery center are blown away by how streamlined everything is for them.

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We don’t have to deal with all the hassle. Instead, we simply prescribe the patients' drops, have them shipped to our practice and provide each bottle to its intended patient before surgery, which frees my staff for extra face-to-face contact with patients. 

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Traci Inman, the OSRX director of sales. She understands people and customer service, answers all our question and is always available to help us. The customer service is unmatched. Even as we’ve gotten busier over the last year, OSRX has never faltered.  

Post-op medications carry serious risks, including burning and stinging upon instillation, allergic conjunctivitis and bitter taste in mouth. Click here to view potential adverse events and contraindications.

Professional Disclosure: Dr. Robert F. Melendez is a medical advisory board member for Ocular Science^® (an OSRX affiliate) and has a financial interest in the company.