Apothecary & Co. offers herbal medicines, vitamins, supplements

Don’t bother to bring your health insurance card to the new retail pharmacy in downtown Oxford because it only accepts cash payments for prescribed medications.

“We are not contracting with any insurance companies,” said Pharmacist Hillary Howell, owner of Apothecary & Co. at 51 S. Washington St., adjacent to the south side of Centennial Park.

Howell, who’s been in the pharmacy business for over 20 years and practiced as a pharmacist for 15 years, said “a lot of people” look at her like she’s “crazy” when she tells them her establishment is a cash-only business, but she believes her reasoning is quite sane.

She explained doing business this way allows her to offer the public affordable medications because she’s not letting insurance companies “dictate the price,” which is usually higher than it needs to be.

For example, Howell said last year, when she was still working as a pharmacist elsewhere, she dealt with a gentleman who was going to pay $320 for a one-month supply of his prescription medication because he was using his health insurance. She said she knew she could charge him only $30 if he paid cash instead. But, she was prohibited from telling him this due to the “gag clause” in the pharmacist’s contract with the insurance company.

Prior to being banned under federal law last October, gag clauses prevented pharmacists from informing their customers whenever it would cost them less to purchase a medication outright rather than going through their insurance.

Howell views the use of gag clauses and the overpricing of medications as “horrible” and “sad” practices. She’s more focused on helping patients rather than maximizing profits.

“If they can’t afford a medication because of the price, I will always call the physician’s office and work with them to try to find a less expensive alternative,” she said.

Apothecary & Co. only stocks generic medications, however, Howell can and will order name-brand products if customers request them.

In addition to saving people money, Howell said not having to deal with insurance claims gives her and her staff more time to focus on enhancing customer service and elevating the level of patient care.

Being a cash-only pharmacy makes Apothecary & Co. a unique establishment in Michigan.

“I can’t say for sure, but I believe I’m the only one (in the state),” said Howell, a 1998 graduate of Davison High School and resident of Mayfield Township in Lapeer County.

Apothecary & Co. is excited to have a compounding lab where the pharmacist can tailor-make medications to suit the individual needs of both people and animals.

Howell said her pharmacy does not take “a cookie-cutter approach” when it comes to serving customers. For people who have allergies or suffer from celiac disease, the on-site compounding lab allows for the creation of medications that are dye-free, corn-free and gluten-free, she explained.

The compounding lab also enables Apothecary & Co. to better serve animals’ needs. For example, if a dog is unable to swallow a tablet, Howell said they can produce the same medication in liquid form. Or they can adjust a medication’s dosage if it’s fine for humans, but too strong for pets.

In addition to filling prescriptions, Apothecary & Co. offers a wide array of vitamins, supplements, cannabidiol (CBD) oil and essential oils. Available product lines include Ancient Nutrition, Charlotte’s Web, Designs for Health, Garden of Life, Metagenics, Now and Young Living.

“Those are the brands that I trust,” Howell said.

Apothecary & Co. offers its selection of vitamins and supplements as a way to promote wellness and offset the fact that many prescription medications deplete and block the body’s natural absorption of essential nutrients and vitamins, according to Howell.

She said most pharmacies don’t counsel patients on what to take in order to compensate for what their bodies are losing, but Apothecary & Co. does because it’s all part of offering “friendly, individualized care.”

Within Apothecary & Co. is a second business named Olde Thyme Apothecary, which offers herbal medicines. Customers can purchase bags of loose herbs, tonics, tinctures, bitters, salves, teas and more.

In her own life, Howell no longer turns to over-the-counter and prescription medicines to deal with health issues.

“I use all herbal medications,” she said.

Apothecary & Co. is in the process of partnering with various alternative and integrative healthcare practitioners to offer classes and services.

“It’s all about educating people about the different options available to them,” Howell said.

Howell’s interest in alternative medicine was sparked by her late husband James.

In 2017, James was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer. The odds of treating it holistically were better than those of going with the standard chemotherapy and radiation, so he went that route and employed vitamins, supplements, infrared sauna, IV vitamin therapy, Reiki, meditations and other treatments in his fight.

Unfortunately, James lost his battle with cancer last year at the age of 39. But, that journey inspired Howell to open a business incorporating everything they had learned together.

“It gave me a new perspective (to create) a different kind of pharmacy,” she said.

Howell added that her intention is to complement, not compete with, existing village businesses, such as Patterson Pharmacy and Simply Organics.

Apothecary & Co. is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It’s closed on Sundays and holidays. For more information, visit www.apothecaryandcompany.com or call (248) 572-6404.