Worth repeating that this is not medical advice and the answer often depends on who you are. Same for me with gym and peptides, unfortunately.

Enteric coatings should not be crushed. The pellets are the delivery mechanism.

Correct.

Is a baseline blood test really necessary before starting something like this?

I would stop trying to convey how bad it is and start saying what you want them to do.

Personal experience, labelled as such, is exactly right here. Nobody is prescribing.

Same here. Two years in on a changed taste or smell and it lines up.

My pharmacist has become my actual doctor and I am at peace with it.