History of                

Compounding Pharmacy

Compounding Pharmacy has a long and respected history.  Up until the twentieth century, all medicines dispensed were compounds.  Pharmacists, or "chemists," would extract active ingredients out of natural products such as the foxglove or poppies.  They would then combine the extracts with other powders and liquids to create elixirs or tinctures.  

Eventually, drug manufacturers began to manufacture drugs, on a much wider scale than pharmacists could do within their pharmacies.  As commercially available medications became more widespread, pharmacists became dispensers of medications.  By the end of the 1960's almost all prescriptions dispensed by pharmacists were commercially manufactured.  

     During the last twenty years, both patients and physicians have rediscovered the importance of compounding.  Compounded medicines offer innovative solutions to complicated health problems.  A compounding pharmacy is able to offer unique options for individual patients.  

      Hieber's Pharmacy is proud to be part of the great legacy of compounding pharmacy.  We combine our love for problem-solving with state of the art technology to create unique compounds.