The Apothecary Shops Becomes Avella Specialty Pharmacy

The Apothecary Shops has grown over the past 16 years and evolved from a single compounding pharmacy to one of the most trusted specialty pharmacies in the nation. The company reveals its new name and it's continued commitment to health and devotion to excellence.

“It is a sad truth, but we have lost the faculty of giving lovely names to things. Names are everything.” —Oscar Wilde (1854—1900)

We agree with Oscar Wilde, names matter. It is with great pride that we announce our new corporate name— Avella.

As The Apothecary Shops has grown over the past 16 years, it has evolved from a single compounding pharmacy to one of the most trusted specialty pharmacies in the nation. With 18 retail locations in 8 states, including a 25,000-square-foot national distribution facility, we are able to reach patients across the country, while still providing a local community presence.

Due to this strategic growth, we required a new name that more accurately describes the company we have become. In our exploration for the new name, we wanted to emerge with a moniker as unique and compelling as our company itself. We determined that: Our mission is to optimize patient health through a relentless devotion to clinical excellence. Through these key words of health, devotion, and excellence we established our new name—Avella. The infinity logo further illustrates the continuous and uninterrupted commitment to our patients and providers.

This name speaks to our commitment to patient health and devotion to clinical excellence. We demonstrate this commitment in a variety of ways, including:

• Having a clinically focused staff, where more than 1 in 6 employees is a clinically trained pharmacist.
• Maintaining a commitment to our patients and providers to improve medication adherence (and health outcomes) through novel, technology-driven tools such as text-message alerts and GlowCaps™.
• Providing 24/7 access to clinical pharmacists through our toll-free number.
• Offering community-based classes to educate both patients and providers on medications, disease states, and methods to improve medication adherence.
• Partnering with our patients to help secure financial assistance through foundations and manufacturer resources. In 2011 alone, Avella secured nearly $5,000,000 in financial assistance for our patients.
• Customer care teams that are dedicated to unique specialties, providing our patients and providers with staff that have deep clinical knowledge and experience in their specialties.
• Collaboration with the University of Arizona and the National Institutes of Health to conduct clinical trials that will help us better understand and improve medication adherence.
• Partnering with health care providers by taking on the burden of securing medication prior authorizations.

While our name has changed, our leadership, pharmacy locations, and customer service have not. Our commitment to patient care and clinical excellence has only been strengthened through this process. We invite you to learn more about our company by experiencing our new website: www.avella.com.

About the Author

John D. Musil, PharmD, FACA, chief executive officer & founder, Avella Specialty Pharmacy. A graduate of the University of Arizona undergraduate (1990) and College of Pharmacy Doctorate (1994) programs, Dr. Musil continued his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning his Executive Leadership Certificate in 2005. An active and respected leader in his field, he lists many association affiliations, including the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the American Lung Association, the American Pharmaceutical Association, the Entrepreneur’s Organization, and the International Association of Compounding Pharmacists. Dr. Musil has also served as a technical expert and site reviewer for the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board and has held a role on the Board of Directors of Scottsdale Health Care.