A word from Claudia McKeen,
B.Sc. Pharmacy - Pharmacist...

In recent years I watched many “community” pharmacies we grew up with in my home town disappear in the face of competition from chains and big-box pharmacies. Some were forced to join a chain to survive, while others just couldn’t compete with a monster store down the block and closed.

My earliest memory about pharmacy was how I had to look way up, and the pharmacist seemed so big. I know now they were on a raised platform (My pharmacy has one too) that allowed them to see over the shelves so they could keep an eye out for the next customer.

The pharmacist would chat with my mom at length, asking her what she was sketching or painting lately, query her on my brothers health, it seemed they were always at the doctors for some major contusion, or he’d inquire about my dads’ golf game. I grew to really enjoy my trips to the pharmacy, the smells, the colourful packages and the candy at the front cash.

I had to work for a big chain for a few years after college to save up the money for my own pharmacy, and although I worked very hard to offer personal attention, it always seemed like the dispensary was an afterthought to the aisles of discounted chips, cola and cheap “Hai Karate” cologne that lured in the customers.

I traveled in the United States and Europe during those years visiting “Chemists”, “Drogeries”, “Farmacia” , “Druggist” and “Drug Stores” seeking out the nuances, the essence, the ingredients that made up the experience I remembered from my youth.

I opened Glebe Apothecary in December 1984 in an old established neighbourhood affectionately called “the Glebe” in Ottawa, Canada's Capital. It’s a beautiful neighbourhood, where merchants recognize you and call you by name. Surrounding streets are canopied by trees that embrace stately four storey homes, parks, public gardens, canals and old stone and brick churches.

I hope you’ll grow to love Glebe Apothecary, the little pharmacy I conceived. I think we’ve created a drug store where the pharmacist listens as much as they speak. A pharmacy that is customer sensitive, and a partner to the doctors of the community, working in tandem to provide the best possible solutions and advice based on the individual customers’ unique circumstances and characteristics.

If you’re visiting Ottawa or “the Glebe”, drop in for a chat. I’d love to meet you. Get Directions!