In October of 1982, pharmacist (and step-father of current owner) Andrew P. Naglak opened a Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy franchise on Perkiomen Avenue in Reading, PA. For the next 10-12 years, the pharmacy was primarily a traditional retail pharmacy that offered local delivery services, blood pressure monitoring, diabetic supplies, and a selection of durable medical equipment. In the early 1990’s, Andrew was presented with a prescription for something different.
A little girl had a heart condition that required specialized treatment. The treatment had to be custom prepared, just for her. Andrew was excited about the opportunity to help the little girl, and gladly prepared the prescription after researching the best way to make it. The little girl and her family were grateful for the service, as many other pharmacies were unwilling or unable to help her. The experience inspired Andrew to explore the art of compounding further. He decided to become a member of PCCA (Professional Compounding Centers of America). They were a company, founded by pharmacists, that offered services and products to compounding pharmacies. With PCCA’s guidance, Andrew focused on growing the compounding aspect of his business. Over time, as awareness of these services grew, so did the frequency of requests for custom-made prescriptions.
Andrew’s step-son, Scott A. Wertz, came on board as a pharmacist after graduating from pharmacy school in 2002. He knew he wanted to practice in an environment that was focused on patient care...something the small, personal environment at the Medicine Shoppe offered. Balancing his time between traditional dispensing and compounding, Scott felt a real satisfaction when helping patients who needed something unique. It was so professionally rewarding, in fact, that he realized a career in compounding was all he wanted. In 2010, as Andrew neared retirement, the two of them decided to phase out the traditional pharmacy aspect of the practice and become a compounding-only pharmacy.
Scott purchased the pharmacy in 2012. The business continued to grow, and with the passing of new regulations that directly affected compounding pharmacies and their facility design, the time was right to explore relocating the business. In July 2017, the business was relocated to a new, larger facility in nearby Wyomissing. Effective with the move, and to better differentiate the pharmacy as a specialty practice, the name was changed to Capstone Compounding Pharmacy.
