The Apothecary

In July of 2022, in the center of Depot Square, a unique pharmacy opened it doors to the residents of Peterborough, New Hampshire and its surrounding towns.

In today’s world, medications are not a one-size-fits-all type of product and this special pharmacy knows that very well. Gloria Shkolnik, a trained and licensed pharmacist, specializes in compounding, a method used to create individualized prescriptions for patients. Gloria has been a retail pharmacist for over 22 years and has been compounding almost as long.

After a visit to the lovely town of Peterborough, she fell in love with it and decided to move here. She had heard about an apothecary in downtown Keene and went to apply there for a job. Unfortunately, the store had closed in 2018. For Gloria, this meant she should probably open a pharmacy of her own and it just so happened there was an absence of small-business pharmacies in the Peterborough area.

Gloria, with her current business partner (who owns four pharmacies in New York) decided that Depot Square was a great fit for her business.

Gloria’s work combines medications with the use of a mortar and pestle, a ancient tool that has been used by apothecaries to combine and grind herbs and medicines since the 19th century. Most medicines today are mass-produced and cannot be altered to fit a person’s specific health needs.

The advantage to compounding is that medicines can be designed specifically for people, by considering the whole body, not just the symptom. Many patients are allergic to over-the-counter or prescription drugs and the compounder can remove the ingredient that causes the problem. A compounder can also change a dosage that may not be readily available, add flavorings and even change the medication from a tablet form to a liquid (suspension), if needed.

In addition to compounding for individuals, Gloria can also compound for our pets.

Area doctors and veterinarians can now prescrible compounded medications to their patients to be picked up at the Peterborough store, as well as, have them shipped throughout New Hampshire. Curbside pickup service is also available.