Daphne Berryhill

Body, meet iron: known on the periodic table as Fe, short for the Latin ferrum, which means “firmness.” Iron is a mineral that makes up most of the earth’s core and sustains life in nearly every plant and animal, including us. Iron is a precious metal for life. It’s not only critical for bringing oxygen to tissues throughout the body, iron is needed for a host of other processes, including energy production, immune regulation, and DNA synthesis.

Staying grounded, well supported, and well informed in your baby’s first winter

This is not a story about how an estrogen patch will fix everything.
It’s about how confusing perimenopause still is and how easy it is to mistake hormonal chaos for a menopausal hormonal decline. This is especially true in a moment when menopause advice is louder, more confident, and more commercial than ever.

Forget resolutions, this new years, I’m making a proclamation: Don’t tell me to go back to who I used to be. This is for every woman who’s been told she’s “too something” at the exact moment her life was expanding.

Hi Medcart readers! If you’re anywhere near perimenopause (like Leah and I), you’ve probably noticed your social media algorithm has quietly shifted its pitch. It’s not just ads for expensive beauty products anymore — now it’s beauty for menopause. There are moisturizers, supplements, meal services, telehealth (oh my!), and they’re all marketed with promises about sleep, sex, skin, mood, and anything else that might hint at aging like a woman. There’s a name for this: Meno-washing.

Earlier this year, I wrote a reported piece for the MedShadow Foundation: “The Side Effects of Inequality: How Lack of Diversity in Clinical Trials Affects Drug Effectiveness and Safety.” Those conversations and research left me asking: How can I, as a writer, prioritize diversity and inclusion in clinical research? AMWA’s annual conference felt like the perfect place to discuss these questions with others in the medical writing community.

Reflections from a delayed flight, kindness of strangers, and meaning of family

Pharmacies provide essential care, from medications to vaccinations and more. The loss of a nearby pharmacy hurts the people who rely on it the most. Here’s why more pharmacies are closing—and what you can do to support pharmacy access for all.

Navigating the healthcare system to get the care you or a loved one needs can be challenging. Just when you think you’ve cleared the hardest parts — finding the right provider, getting an accurate diagnosis, and choosing a treatment plan — your insurance company can throw in a surprise roadblock by denying coverage for a prescribed medication. One possible reason? A policy called step therapy.

Some of you know I have four kids, ages 9 to 25. So after hearing that sickly little “Mooooom” so many times, I know what’s coming: a flood of decisions. Do I keep my kid home? Take them in? Juggle work and errands around yet another sick day? Every parent knows this moment, and every parent knows the guilt that creeps in—what if I make the wrong call?

How to think of your pharmacists as part of your medical team, not just a pill dispenser

We’ve been hearing for years that we need to get enough calcium from food or supplements. And while that same message is true—getting enough calcium is important—newer research is changing the recommendations of whether to take a supplement.

Workplace cultures get healthier when trust, fairness, and belonging are built into daily routines, and people are treated as real humans with unique needs and circumstances. When everyone feels supported to care for their health at work, the whole team benefits.

Pharmacists are vital to the safety of our medications and health system. But with rising staff burnout and pharmacy closures, the profession is in crisis