SILVERHILL, Ala. — Ten minutes after seven in the morning is early for anyone. But for a group of 20 or so men, one Tuesday morning a month is filled with a good breakfast and information from a local speaker. While women are invited to speak and The Rev. Dave Johnson, the church’s pastor, says, “all the wives have come to check out this club,” the membership is for men only.

It’s the monthly meeting of the “7:10 Club” at Zion Lutheran Church, and the coffee and scrambled eggs disappear quickly as the 21assembled men make short work of the biscuits, mixed fruit and scrambled eggs other members of the club prepare. They eat quickly, wanting to hear from this month’s speaker, Darren Billiot, a pharmacist at the Wal-Mart in Fairhope.

Billiot, a pharmacist since 1994, started by reassuring his audience that all pharmacies by law have a private patient consultation area, and people should not be afraid of asking their pharmacists for advice on their medications.

“We are generally a wealth of information,” said Billiot. “Generally we are asked about how much (of a drug should one take) and how long (should the drug be taken). Young mothers usually use us pretty good. Remember, we are an unbiased source of information - we are paid by the hour.”

For the past four years, the men of Zion have been meeting for breakfast and information. About a dozen men attended the April 8 meeting, and while there is no formal membership, anywhere from eight to 24 members attend the meetings, Johnson says.

According to Johnson, the club is open to any man regardless of their church affiliation, and no, they don’t have to join Zion Lutheran (but Johnson won’t be against that happening) to join the 710 club.

“The club was founded,” said Johnson, “to give men a chance to talk to one another. It opens dialog. We aim the content to be interesting to the men of Central Baldwin County.”

The club, Johnson says, was founded in 2004 and has not repeated a speaker. Meetings take place in the fellowship hall, which was built in 2003.

“We’re not in the business of prostelyzing. We have a pew for that. This is community outreach,” said Johnson.

The program is a hit with church member Wayne Pitcher. The Fairhope resident has been a member of the church for 10 years, and is one of the founding members of the 710 Club.

“The program is OK, it’s very good,” said Pitcher. “You always learn something new.”

For Silverhill resident Peter Midgarden, seeing the 710 club grow and develop has been a treat.

“I was on the (church) board when the 710 Club started,” Midgarden said.

The fellowship is what’s important, Midgarden believes.

“It allows men to get together and do things,” Midgarden said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

For Billiot, the chance to talk to an outside group and share his knowledge was a treat.

“I want to share what goes on filling an prescription,” Billiot told the group, adding that a pharmacist does more than count out pills.

“The main part of our job is to make sure there is an appropriate dose,” said Billiot, explaining that each drug has a “window” of a safe and therapeutic dose.

“The biggest thing I see is an under dose,” said Billiot.

Sometimes, Billiot explained, a pharmacist spots a problem with a prescription and has to call the physician for a change or clarification, especially if the pharmacist knows that the patient is taking another drug that may conflict with the new prescription.

Men, said Billiot with a smile, seem to be the most reluctant to ask questions.

“We are here for you guys, ask us questions,” Billiot said, adding that a pharmacist operates under the same confidentiality rules as a doctor or nurse.

“We’re a good first person to ask,” said Billiot.

While it may seem to take a long time, patients should be, well, patient at the pharmacy window.

“We move as quickly as we can without compromising patient safety,” Billiot said “Give us the opportunity to do our job.”

Patients should also question any change in their medication.

“Drug manufacturers sometimes change the shape, color, and size of their pills,” Billiot said. “If you see a change, you should bring it to the attention of the pharmacist, if you are not told about that change before taking that pill. I have almost 14 years as a pharmacist and I always make time to talk to patients.”

Patients should also make sure that their pharmacist knows about all the drugs and over-the-counter medications (including herbal supplements and vitamins) they are taking.

“The best thing is to bring a list of what you are taking to the pharmacy,” Billiot said. He added that this is especially true if circumstances require you to have your prescriptions filled in more than one place.

The most common prescriptions Billiot sees are anti-diabetes drugs and drugs for gastric distress.

But the biggest message Billiot had for the audience was that if there is a question about medication, you should ask, and a pharmacist is a good place to start.

“The largest problem is the one you should be asking about,” Billiot said.