Not Just Filling People Perscriptions Anymore

No matter what season it is, people of all walks of life have been sick at some point  in their lives. You know the cycle – a trip to the doctors office, a medication is usually prescribed, and then the prescription is filled by a local pharmacy.

owner Jeff Langer understands this process, as he worked for a national pharmacy retailer for several years filling prescriptions of all types, but he isn't just filling prescriptions for people anymore.

“It requires an understanding of the pet animal needs, together with an understanding of the physiology and pharmacology of these patients,” Langer said. That's right, he's an animal pharmacist.

Langer had a family pharmacy business that he sold to another company. When a business is sold, that new company can set restrictions on any new businesses that may be opened by the previous owner to make sure, for example, one does not open the exact same business right next door. Langer said that while the restrictions were entirely understandable, he just couldn't figure out what to do. Then his wife, Patti, suggested a pet pharmacy.

In 1999, Langer and his wife opened up the Pet Apothecary, relocating in 2009 to their current facility, 8838 N. Port Washington Rd. The Langer's saw a need that was not being met by other pharmacies around the U.S.

Since then, they've helped way more than your typical domestic house cat or dog. Pet Apothecary has assisted gerbils, guinea pigs, snakes, frogs, turtles, monkeys, eagles ferrets, squirrels, lemurs, cheetahs and penguins.

Langer says that a pet pharmacy is a very specialized branch of the pharmacy profession.  “While most medicines today are manufactured for the human patient, the same medicines often can be used on animal patients. However, the dosages and dosage forms must be different for animals. Most people want to help their ailing pet, so they find out what they need to give them and administer it to them. However, the dosage can be too much.”

Langer added that they specialize in preparing and compounding medicines suitable for pets and other animals in the right dosage that can be simple to administer for pet owners, like treats made by Pet Apothecary that have the medicine right in it.

Nichole Zarling is a pharmacy technician at Pet Apothecary. She said that she did work for a retail pharmacy that handled human medications for awhile, but she loves working at an animal pharmacy so much more.

"People are so much more appreciative and everyday is so different," Zarling said. "The best part is knowing that you're making a difference."

The Pet Apothecary mainly works with animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and sometimes zoo animals. Langer said that the most challenging task of formulating an effective prescription was for a monkey who had a rare condition.

“Our key priority is to help the pet owner/customer with educating them on the prescription, the dosage amount that will be used and how to correctly administer the medication to the pet,” Langer said. “We are always there for the customer, and try our best to formulate all prescriptions so that they are safe and effective for each animal.”