Supporting & shopping local at Moderen Apothecary is one of the many ways that you can give back to the community.In todays climate small businesses need you more than ever, In this series of Q&A’s we get to know some of the local business owners and what their businesses have to offer.
Modern Apothecary
4924 7th Avenue. Downtown Kenosha
Owner Erin Merritt
‘ Q. How did you get your idea or concept for the business?
A. I’ve known since starting pharmacy school that I wanted to open my own pharmacy. I wanted to be able to know my patients and provide a warmer, more personalized experience than I could in a chain pharmacy setting. I also loved compounding medications, which is creating a medication personalized to the needs of the patient (person or pet) when a commercially available prescription is unable to meet those needs. With more people turning to a more holistic and natural approach to health, I wanted to be able to provide knowledge on how those supplements could be used in conjunction with traditional prescription medications, without dangerous interactions. Through many revisions,challenges and sometimes setbacks, Modern Apothecary is the pharmacy I had dreamed it would be.
Q. What products and services do you provide?
A. We offer traditional pharmacy services, including dispensing medications, immunizations, over-the-counter medications and compounding. However, we offer many professional-quality supplement lines, essential oils, locally made products, men’s grooming supplies and Kenosha apparel. The best thing about being an independent, locally owned pharmacy is that we can pivot and change the items and services we offer quickly. When COVID began, we already offered home delivery, but we were quickly able to add curbside pick-up. We are now offering drive-thru COVID-19 testing on Simmons Island three days per week. We’ve had requests for curbside flu vaccines, which I can offer since I do not have a corporate office telling me I cannot do so.
Q. What do you love about Downtown Kenosha?
A. There are lots of things I love about Downtown. I love the lake, the museums, restaurants, entertainment options and stores. I love the personality and uniqueness each business brings to the Downtown to provide an atmosphere with which a strip mall or shopping center can never compete. I am also a big pushover for old buildings with lots of character.
Q. What do you offer that stands out from other shops?
A. First, I think every pharmacy should have 14 chandeliers, so there’s that. More seriously, we also really want to offer a much more personalized experience than offered by other pharmacies and be a resource to the community. We all really try hard to know our patient’s first names, which I’ll be the first to admit I cannot always remember, but I try. One of the most frequently asked questions is if we are a REAL pharmacy. The answer is yes, we are a real pharmacy that provides real prescription medications and bills your insurance. After almost six years, that question sometimes drives me a little crazy. However, I am happy to be offering what I think a pharmacy should and could look like and offer, not what big corporations say a pharmacy should look like.
For more info checkout Moderen Apothcary on Facebook and their website
https://www.facebook.com/modernapothpharmacy
Moderen Apothecary Website
Q&A, Photos, Concept by Donny Stancato
Edited by Jason Hedman
(This appears in the Downtown Kenosha Magazine Vol.13 #4 2020/21
https://www.facebook.com/downtownkenoshamagazine
