If the word apothecary conjures images of a wizard in long dusty robes muttering incantations to the Arthurian skies, or of an alchemist pouring glass beakers filled with smoking potions into a larger vat of steaming, molten gold, then you may not be alone. Words have always fallen in and out of popular usage. A public figure or writer can resurrect a dusty word overnight. New meaning or alternate usage for words can arise from simple trends in generational, regional, or vernacular communications. Ours is a nation founded by immigrants from all over the world. It made sense to call the medicine man or druggist the apothecary, in the true Old World, European sense. That was a familiar term to the new Americans. Words related to apothecary have the meaning of pharmacist or dispensing chemist in most languages. The Spanish word bodega has the same root. Medical treatment in colonial times, just as today, was expensive. People turned to their apothecary who provided multiple services. From records kept by 18th century Williamsburg apothecaries we know that in addition to prescribing medicine and administering medical treatment, they performed surgeries, applied leeches, and made house calls which could include delivering babies. Often times individuals frequently self-diagnosed within family groups. They frequently compounded remedies using recipes handed down, learned from the apothecary, or from tradition and folklore using flowers, herbs, and roots found in their own potager (kitchen gardens). The old apothecary shops sold goods other than medicine. Products such as candles, toothbrushes, and tobacco made them true harbingers of the contemporary drugstore. Ingredients found in the natural world and used in colonial remedies are the basis for modern medicine. There has been famous mention of apothecaries in literature down the ages. In William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily", the main character Miss Emily goes to an apothecary and buys arsenic to kill a rat. So called rat turns out to be her Yankee boyfriend who she had learned was going to skip town and leave her an old maid. Both main characters in one of the saddest stories ever told visited the local apothecary. Shakespeare's Juliet purchased an elixir that would temporarily take the bloom from her cheeks and cause her to fall into a deep sleep. Her unfortunate Romeo purchased a deadly potion he consumed after finding her "dead". It is certainly apparent in reading the Bible that people experienced pain and disease, and sought to alleviate suffering and heal through the usage of medicines. The apothecary is therein listed as one of the earliest trades or professions. "And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil." Exodus 30:25 Founded in 1875, Merz Apothecary in Chicago is one of the longest continually operated apothecaries in the United States. Maintaining an Old World approach, it continues to focus heavily on herbal medicines and traditional formulas. Apothecaries are generally known for a helpful, holistic, preventative approach to better health and wellness. Usage of the word apothecary is a respectful bow to our history and traditions. And perhaps a more accurate description of just what lies within it's doors!

The Food and Drug Administration has stated that compounded prescriptions are both ethical and legal as long as they are prescribed by a licensed practitioner for a specific patient and compounded by a licensed pharmacy. In addition, compounding is regulated by state boards of pharmacy.