Palmer Pharmacy Opens Its Doors

On May 26, Palmer Pharmacy opened its doors to the public, right next to Redner’s Market just off of William Penn Highway.

Lena Lasher, the head pharmacist and owner, has been working in pharmaceuticals since 1993, but Palmer Pharmacy is her first business.

When asked why she wanted to open her own pharmacy, she exclaimed, “My gosh, why not? It was a challenge.”

She elaborated by saying that she saw many people from big-box pharmacy chains leave to open their own stores, where they could focus on more personalized service.

“You get to have a hand in everything,” she said.

Although Lasher is a New Jersey resident, she grew familiar with the area when she took a job in Easton a few years back. When it came time to open her own business, she thought of this area.

“I just think the community is great,” said Lasher. “People are always telling me that they’re so glad we’re here.”

The sign outside reads Palmer Pharmacy & Much More, the “much more” part referring to the other half of the store—besides just pharmaceuticals, Palmer Pharmacy carries medical and surgical supplies, OTC medicines, candy, toiletries, back-to-school supplies, vitamins, hair accessories, greeting cards and, well, much more.

At the front of the store, near the entrance, is a serving station for breakfast sandwiches, bagels, coffee, tea, hot dogs and ice cream.

“Anything people want, we try to get,” Lasher said. “Our orders come in next day.”

On the pharmaceutical side, Lasher says there are two things the pharmacy does that beat out the chain stores -- personalized consulting and compounding.

Compounding refers to the process of making medications to specification to fit the needs of a patient, whether it is to remove an allergen, increase a dosage or even change the form of medication--a unique trait in pharmacies today.

And Palmer Pharmacy carries all of the medications that a chain store would. 

“Our goal is a five-minute wait,” Lasher said. “How can you beat that?”

Palmer Pharmacy is at 3769 Nicholas St., next to Redner’s. It is open seven days a week -- Monday through Friday, 7am to 8pm, and weekends, 8am to 2pm. The pharmacy accepts all insurances and offers free delivery to the Easton, Palmer and Bethlehem areas.

To celebrate its arrival, the independently owned pharmacy is holding a three-month grand opening, going on now until Oct. 1. As part of the grand opening, the pharmacy is giving away free coffee and tea and free “goody bags” of merchandise worth $20.