Prescribing Adventure: A Pharmacist's Guide to Recharging

Blair Thielemier, a pharmacist, and PQS Customer Success EQUIPP Copilot Specialist, shares her experience leading a group of 12 healthcare professionals on a nine-day Healing Medicine Retreat through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, a trip designed to help providers unplug, recharge, and reconnect with themselves.

This episode, hosted by PQS Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts Nick Dorich, covers why providers struggle to truly unplug, how the retreat is intentionally structured to address that (private villa, customized meals, wildlife excursions, yoga, and meditation), and how the experience can carry over into healthier daily habits back home. Blair also touches on the group dynamic — like-minded professionals vetted through 1:1 calls — and announces upcoming retreats in November 2026 and April 2027. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/btpharmacyconsulting/

Transcript

00:00:04:08 - 00:00:33:03

Blair Thielemier

pharmacist health care professionals, we have so much responsibility placed on us and our careers are, you know, dedicated to serving others and serving our patients. And, you know, sometimes I, you know, I'm a busy mom of three. I don't get that opportunity, even on vacation, to kind of take that that time off for myself and rest and recharge.

00:00:33:03 - 00:01:09:08

Blair Thielemier

And, you know, I think I'm also I've heard many pharmacists say they they feel like they're not even doing vacation right when they go on vacation, because it's so difficult to completely unplug. Luckily, if you go to a place as remote as the Galapagos, it's not that difficult to unplug. But but we do have, you know, have intentional time to try to be really present, try to interact with the wildlife.

00:01:09:10 - 00:01:10:16

Voiceover

Welcome to the Pharmacy

00:01:10:19 - 00:01:19:15

Voiceover

Quality Solutions Quality Corner Show. Buckle up and put your thinking cap on. The Quality Corner show starts now.

00:01:19:17 - 00:01:44:11

Nick Dorich

Welcome everyone to the PQS Quality Corner Show. On today's episode, we want to take a closer look at our pharmacist and health care providers health. Let's talk about how pharmacists and providers can recharge, take time to disconnect from the busy workday and how to refocus your energy. I am your host, Nick Dorich, and I'm happy to have on the show today, my PQS colleague Blair Thielemier, who recently returned from a trip with fellow health care professionals.

00:01:44:13 - 00:01:53:00

Nick Dorich

Blair, welcome or welcome back to the show, actually, and I'm excited to talk to you and to learn more about this excursion and the Healing Medicine Retreat.

00:01:53:02 - 00:02:00:08

Blair Thielemier

Thank you so much for having me. Yes, I'm very excited to share more about my love for the Galapagos Islands.

00:02:00:10 - 00:02:06:07

Nick Dorich

Excellent. Now this for me is a really exciting podcast, video and item for us to go through.

00:02:06:09 - 00:02:19:17

Nick Dorich

Blair is a new member to the PQS team. I think for those listening have seen her introduced, but we've had Blair on the podcast previously as we've gone through some pharmacy engagement and actually one of my very first podcasts or videos that I did

00:02:19:19 - 00:02:29:24

Nick Dorich

my early days of PQS was actually as a guest on Blair's podcast. So some things here, as the world continues to turn and change, we get to be reconnected with some some folks that we worked with in prior roles.

00:02:29:24 - 00:02:32:21

Nick Dorich

And this is something that I'm really excited to hear about with Blair.

00:02:33:01 - 00:02:57:00

Nick Dorich

Blair shared a lot of her stories with our team internally at PQS and it was an idea that we thought was pretty cool and should help refocus and share how we can really be the best pharmacist, be the best health care providers that we can. And in some ways, and sometimes the best way to do that is to take time to slow down, take some time to focus on ourselves so that we can be our best selves when we're reengaging.

00:02:57:00 - 00:03:05:09

Nick Dorich

So Blair, with that, I'm going to go ahead and we'll jump into our questions. And really, first and foremost, we got to hear a little bit about, you know what this trip is,

00:03:05:09 - 00:03:10:01

Nick Dorich

understanding how this trip came about, and how it got pulled together.

00:03:10:02 - 00:03:34:03

Blair Thielemier

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, thank you for having me here on the Quality Corner Show. I think quality of life is a is a, you know, definitely something that affects the way that we live and work. So I did just returned from a nine day trip leading a group of 12 health care professionals through Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands, and that really came about.

00:03:34:03 - 00:04:00:03

Blair Thielemier

I had visited this magical place in October of 2024, and I had done it as part of a live aboard boat, going to some of the islands and things. I absolutely fell in love. So the Galapagos Islands have been on my list as a child. You know, it was something that learning about Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution.

00:04:00:09 - 00:04:31:17

Blair Thielemier

You know, I'm I'm a science kid. So, you know, it's something that has sparked my imagination since childhood and has always been a bucket list, you know, trip for me. I did join that, the live aboard excursion, because looking into the level of planning, licenses, permits, all of the things you need to be able to access the Galapagos National Park was overwhelming for me.

00:04:31:19 - 00:05:19:06

Blair Thielemier

So after attending that in 2024, I really realized and had many people asking me how I did it and how that travel took place. And so it really came about from, you know, the idea that my network was, was asking me how they could travel there as well. And for me, being able to make those contacts with local guides and local tour operators to be able to offer a land based activity, because I, like Charles Darwin, was seasick the entire time I was on the live aboard ship, the cruise ship last time I was there.

00:05:19:06 - 00:05:39:18

Blair Thielemier

So a lot less nausea this time and a lot more, you know, getting to have some downtime and really experience the local culture as well as the just amazing animal and marine diversity there.

00:05:39:20 - 00:06:02:01

Nick Dorich

I think the part that's really interesting for me is with this trip and as as you and the group are leading this event for other healthcare and it is intended for health care providers, really, the intent is I think it's a kind of returning to self and returning to kind of a normal. We all work in health care where it is very busy, it is very fast paced, is very hectic and there's a lot that's demanded of us.

00:06:02:01 - 00:06:19:05

Nick Dorich

But with this experience, I think really the only thing that's demanded or expected for the people attending, and this is where I'd like you to expand on it is really just to show up, to be present and to enjoy just the people and the nature that's around you in a way, just to kind of rediscover yourself.

00:06:19:05 - 00:06:21:10

Nick Dorich

Do I have that right? What do you say?

00:06:21:12 - 00:06:23:18

Blair Thielemier

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know,

00:06:23:18 - 00:06:52:13

Blair Thielemier

pharmacist health care professionals, we have so much responsibility placed on us and our careers are, you know, dedicated to serving others and serving our patients. And, you know, sometimes I, you know, I'm a busy mom of three. I don't get that opportunity, even on vacation, to kind of take that that time off for myself and rest and recharge.

00:06:52:13 - 00:07:23:13

Blair Thielemier

And, you know, I think I'm also I've heard many pharmacists say they they feel like they're not even doing vacation right when they go on vacation, because it's so difficult to completely unplug. Luckily, if you go to a place as remote as the Galapagos, it's not that difficult to unplug. But but we do have, you know, have intentional time to try to be really present, try to interact with the wildlife.

00:07:23:17 - 00:07:46:12

Blair Thielemier

I remember there was one excursion on a day that we were on the yacht, and we went to a sea lion colony, and we were able to snorkel with these sea lions. And, you know, the guide explained that the sea lions would they wouldn't touch you, but they would swim up kind of in your face just to get a reaction from you.

00:07:46:14 - 00:08:14:01

Blair Thielemier

Right. And that would that would spark your heart rate. And they were able to sense that change in the electromagnetic. So I really believe that healing medicine can be different things to different people. You know, it can be laughter and dancing with friends. It can be, you know, an interaction like that with wildlife or spending time, quiet time in nature.

00:08:14:01 - 00:08:50:10

Blair Thielemier

And, you know, when we built out this itinerary, I really wanted our guests to be able to leave all of the the baggage, you know, the the mom, the pharmacist, the, you know, the husband, all of those, you know, identity labels behind and be able to just be yourself and to enjoy and have that chance to feel really totally taken care of and very, very safe and cared for in this environment that is so special.

00:08:50:13 - 00:08:56:14

Blair Thielemier

You know, one of one of the most new and interesting environments on the planet.

00:08:56:16 - 00:09:13:04

Nick Dorich

Very much sounds like an experience where in order to help others. And that's what we as health care providers are, we are helpers. In order to help others, we need to help ourselves take some time to help ourselves. Now, Blair does bring me to my next question or my next thought for you with this experience you talked about.

00:09:13:05 - 00:09:41:12

Nick Dorich

It's a lot about unplugging and getting to have the experience while you were there and being present. What about when folks have gone home or have gone back to their routine day? Whether it's life at home or their day in the job, have you had any experiences or feedback, you know, positive feedback or other remarks from some of the people that were on this trip to say that how this impacted them in a way, in their daily life that they weren't expecting.

00:09:41:14 - 00:10:14:18

Blair Thielemier

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, all of our Healing Medicine retreat itineraries have been focused around health. So we have very active itineraries that you know, I told people before they come as a Galapagos is not something you want to wait until you know you're not in the greatest shape. Don't wait till you're older to to go do some of these excursions, especially to a remote place like the Galapagos, because it's very physically demanding.

00:10:14:18 - 00:10:44:04

Blair Thielemier

So prior to the trip, you know, we had kind of set a goal and I set a goal for myself to to walk 5000 steps a day in order to prepare my body for the type of, of movement that would be happening there. We, you know, we also spent time set aside time for yoga and meditation. We had really high, you know, high vitality foods.

00:10:44:04 - 00:11:13:20

Blair Thielemier

So a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables that were grown there locally, not in Galapagos, in Ecuador mainland, that that we had flown out to the island for our private chef to serve to us. So there was the experience of getting to try new foods and several there was one in particular that, you know, she was very concerned because she had gluten and dairy allergies.

00:11:14:01 - 00:11:40:04

Blair Thielemier

And she she said in the past, you know, she would have felt like a people pleaser and said, oh, no, you don't have to make a special fuss for me or whatever. But the way that we have really designed these itineraries is to be able to customize, you know, meal plans and things for people so that they don't feel like they have to cheat on their vacation.

00:11:40:04 - 00:12:15:02

Blair Thielemier

And, you know, and in the other way, to maybe inspire them to try foods and flavors and, you know, exercise and things that they wouldn't have necessarily tried in their day to day life, that they can then integrate into their life after they come back, that they do want to hold on to and can bring that that value and that quality of life into their day to day, you know, long after returning from the trip.

00:12:15:04 - 00:12:19:03

Nick Dorich

Very much a variety is the spice of life sort of situation.

00:12:19:09 - 00:12:47:02

Nick Dorich

And yeah, you shared it where it's the first time you're experiencing something new, it's more exciting, it's more exhilarating. But we can build these... we can weave these components into from a trip. And what we bring back, how it changes is, can certainly be weaved into what our current existence is. The next question, you know, I was thinking about as you're sharing some of these stories, this is very much a unique trip and a unique experience with a lot of health care, other health care providers.

00:12:47:04 - 00:13:15:08

Nick Dorich

Was that part of the intention? You know, for, for, for the group and being able to have people that are coming from different pharmacy or different health care practices, I'm sure you've got folks that work in community, folks that work in hospital in a variety of different experiences. Was there also some identification of shared experience, shared stresses and identification that yes, our lives, even though we may be in separate sectors of healthcare, are more similar?

00:13:15:08 - 00:13:18:04

Nick Dorich

And was how did that impact the trip?

00:13:18:06 - 00:13:57:17

Blair Thielemier

Yeah, that's a that's a really good question. So I think, you know, these trips were really born out of my own personal network. And people that have followed me on LinkedIn and have followed my journey. I've always loved to travel, really been focused on travel to South America, been to Ecuador now three times, and this was something that a lot of people were telling me they'd never left the country before, or they didn't speak Spanish, or there, you know, that they would love to go on a trip like this but aren't really sure how to navigate it, you know, personally.

00:13:57:17 - 00:14:32:13

Blair Thielemier

And they also didn't want to sign up for a trip with a bunch of random strangers. Yeah, right. So the the health care professionals just kind of naturally came out of my personal network. The hesitancy, I think around going on a group trip is if you don't have some thread that binds, you know, some like mindedness, then you can really, you know, you may be on a trip with people that they want to stay out late and go party.

00:14:32:14 - 00:15:10:12

Blair Thielemier

That's fine. But that's not the trip that that, you know, we necessarily designed for, for this particular group. So the way that you want to travel is really more important than what industry you're in or your age or your marital status. So we also had a combination of couples as well as solo travelers on this trip. And we were able because we stay in a private villa and we do all private guides and private excursions to accommodate that.

00:15:10:12 - 00:15:56:19

Blair Thielemier

So the, you know, whether you're a pharmacist, we also had speech therapist. We did have an attorney. We had one attorney on the team. You know, that she was sister to one of the pharmacists who joined us. But I think the idea was professional, like minded people that were looking for the same type of experience. And this is why I have one on one calls with every single one of our retreat guests to make sure that the energy and the expectations of the group and the group dynamic are really considered so that everyone can feel like they are able to participate in the group and that, you know, even if you're a

00:15:56:19 - 00:16:12:14

Blair Thielemier

solo traveler, that that the group dynamic and that you can fit in with, you know, with the group of people that you are going to have things in common with just by the nature of your profession.

00:16:12:16 - 00:16:24:17

Nick Dorich

So just a couple last questions for you, Blair, and I'll try to do these kind of rapid fire as we we've finalized this podcast.

00:16:24:19 - 00:16:33:12

Nick Dorich

What do you think? What do you hope that your companions on this trip, what do you hope that they get out of this trip the most?

00:16:33:14 - 00:16:56:23

Blair Thielemier

Oh, I hope that it inspires them to travel more. So I hope that they get get bitten by the bug and our inspired to put that next date on their calendar. So you know I say we all need something to look forward to in the future.

00:16:56:23 - 00:17:05:07

Blair Thielemier

So I guess that that would be my main thing is to be inspired to put that next thing on the calendar that they have to look forward to.

00:17:05:10 - 00:17:22:04

Nick Dorich

Yeah. And then the next question for those pharmacists, for those health care providers that may be a little reluctant to step away from the busyness and certainly it can be a lot to take time out and away or with trying to coordinate with kids or travel cost.

00:17:22:07 - 00:17:37:18

Nick Dorich

There's a lot there. But I think, you know, this trip is certainly one way that this can be done, but it can be done in managing a lot of other ways. What would be your push to pharmacists to and to health care providers to just go and try it, see how it goes and see what happens to them on the other side?

00:17:37:20 - 00:18:16:15

Blair Thielemier

Yeah, absolutely. So we really try to build the the packages and the itinerary. So you know exactly how much it's going to cost. You can plan ahead. So we're already putting our groups together for November 2026 and April 2027. So you'll have plenty of time to ask for PTO or find a babysitter. Do what you need to do in order to really create that that space in your life for nine days that you will you will remember your whole life, the memories of Galapagos.

00:18:16:16 - 00:18:36:10

Blair Thielemier

I mean, it's just such a magical place and a very special place on Earth that not many people get to visit. So if it is something that's on your bucket list and you really want to make that happen and would love to get in touch to explain a little bit more about what that could look like.

00:18:36:11 - 00:18:52:18

Nick Dorich

Okay. With that final question, how do folks find out more information? Where can they reach out? Where? Where can they connect with you? To find out more information about this, I know you'll be sharing some of it, and you've already been sharing some of this on LinkedIn online. But where can folks connect with you?

00:18:52:20 - 00:18:56:13

Blair Thielemier

Yeah, yeah, LinkedIn is probably the best place to find me.

00:18:56:14 - 00:19:22:20

Blair Thielemier

Blair. Thielemier is the easiest way to get in contact with me there. Send me a private message. I can, you know, I can respond there and share some more itinerary details. And I would be happy to even set up a zoom call if you're interested in what exactly that would look like and detailed day to day of what the excursions would be.

00:19:22:22 - 00:19:45:05

Nick Dorich

Excellent. Well, fantastic. Blair, thank you for sharing your story. Your experience was I know you really caught the imagination and the interest of a lot of team members here at PQS, and and as you shared, just from the experience that this wasn't just a vacation, that this was a reset. This was something to bring out the best in you and the best in everyone that was on that sort of trip.

00:19:45:05 - 00:20:01:22

Nick Dorich

So that's not often how folks look at or think about, you know, how they're spending their vacation time and their and their PTO. But something that was really exciting for here and definitely pulled on the heartstrings and definitely caught the imagination for a lot of our team members. So thank you for sharing the story. Thank you for sharing what you got out of it.

00:20:01:22 - 00:20:25:06

Nick Dorich

And with that, we will wrap up our conversation. So thank you again for joining us. And thank you for our listeners for joining and listening into this conversation. We thank you for your work and your community. Thanks for taking a break to listen to our show, The Quality Corner Show. We hope you get inspired and that you take the initiative to get yourself some much needed rest and relaxation in the near future, too.

00:20:25:08 - 00:20:36:06

Nick Dorich

We want to thank you for joining us. We hope you join us for the next episode of the Quality Corner Show. And before we go, we have one final message from the PQS team.

00:20:36:08 - 00:20:59:08

Voiceover

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00:20:59:10 - 00:21:18:21

Voiceover

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00:21:18:21 - 00:21:22:00

Voiceover

And we wish all of you listeners out there well.