Right across the parking lot from Ralph’s Thriftway, you’ll find the beautifully renovated building that is now the new home of Randy’s Compounding Pharmacy. Inside are rows of vitamins, herbs and minerals, and behind the counter you’ll find the always-friendly staff greeting by name many of the customers who walk in. Keep looking past the counter and you can peak into the compounding pharmacy area, where custom prescriptions are prepared, and beyond that, you’ll see a clean room, which is attractive, centrally located and completely visible to patients.
The clean room is the nerve center of the pharmacy, and serves as the facility for sterile compounding of many different types of drugs. Clean rooms are expensive and difficult to construct and maintain, but they help ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. “Our investment in this facility is well worth it. We’re giving patients the ability to watch their prescriptions being filled, which earns their confidence,” said Brad Livingstone, owner and pharmacist.
“We moved from Ralph’s into our new location on September 16. We needed to relocate because the time had come to reinvest in our infrastructure in order to meet new safety regulations and remain an industry leader in our region”, said Livingstone. Not only is Randy’s a thriving Thurston County pharmacy, but they also mail statewide.
In fact, according to Livingstone, he is doing the opposite of what many others in the business are doing. Due to the new regulations for compounding pharmacies, many organizations are abandoning the business model or are downsizing. Randy’s is using the new standards as an opportunity to invest in infrastructure and grow. “Patient safety is our number one priority and that is the single biggest reason for our investment in this facility. If there’s a standard, we will exceed it”, he said.
Livingstone said that there have been a number of large pharmacies which compound behind closed doors. “With the increased scrutiny and regulation that have come our way, we aim to be transparent. Our lab has many windows, and patients can come and take a look,” he said.
The new space also creates a calm and relaxing environment that is conducive to individual pharmacist-patient advising. The pharmacists at Randy’s regularly help patients find nutritional supplements that help reduce inflammation or gastro-intestinal issues, or they may work directly with a physician and patient to make slight adjustments so prescriptions work optimally. “We are not diagnosticians,” he said, “but we can make lifestyle or diet modification recommendations to address symptoms. Or, for example, we may refer (a patient) to a doctor with a list of diagnostic test suggestions. We are here to help you focus your efforts where they matter most”
The new facility also creates needed space to house the nutrition center. Nutritional supplements are an important component of Randy’s Compounding Pharmacy. “Olympia is a fairly health-conscious city. Our customers tend to be more in tune with their bodies. Many are up-to-date on the latest research and come to us to help them find very specific products. We use a combination of Eastern and Western medicines of the highest quality, guaranteed potencies and organic or pure sources. Our stringent standards also mean that we carry a limited number of supplement and herb brands because most simply do not meet our safety, potency and efficacy requirements,” he said.
Now that the cold and flu season has begun, customers are stopping by Randy’s to stock up on immune boosting herbs and supplements. “I talk people out of taking supplements just as often as I talk them into taking supplements. There are no substitutions for the ABC’s of health like eating well and hydrating. However, there are some key disease states, such as chronic inflammation, which we can help manage with well-researched and sound remedies.”
Stop by Randy’s Compounding Pharmacy to receive some of Livingstone’s immune boosting secrets.
Randy’s Compounding Pharmacy
1851 State Ave NE #105
Olympia, WA 98506
360-491-0607
www.randyscompoundingpharmacy.com
