Candice Wagener
Staffers at the new Community Pharmacy in Middleton include (from left): Jackie Nikolaus, Richard Kilmer, Flormaria Erazo Zurita, Ian Hamilton, and one of the original founders, Jane Greischar.
Community Pharmacy has been a trailblazer, first on State Street and then Gorham Street, for the past 43 years. Now, thanks to the November opening of a second location in Middleton, suburban customers can take advantage of the pharmacy without the hassle of making a special trip or finding parking.
Candice Wagener
“So many people come in and say they stopped shopping [with us] 10 years ago because of the parking,” says Jackie Nikolaus, who has worked for Community Pharmacy for 29 years.
When the former Green Earth space on University Avenue became available, Nikolaus says it was a unanimous decision to open Community Pharmacy-west.
The business is a workers’ cooperative — all staff manage and run the store and share ownership in it. It’s always been politically active and intent on giving back to the community it serves.
Started in 1972 by the Wisconsin Student Association to provide low-cost medicines, health and beauty items, Community Pharmacy now also carries vitamins and homeopathic remedies and maintains a full-time pharmacy. It was one of the first stores in the area to offer bulk herbs with trained staff to answer questions about drug interactions. Staffers pride themselves on their expertise in this area, because there are many possible interactions between herbs and supplements.
“People think if it’s an herb, it’s safe, but if you’re on lots of medications, you really need to be careful. You’re not just eating a salad,” says pharmacist Richard Kilmer.
While both locations provide similar services and products, Community Pharmacy-west is still figuring out what will be in high demand in the new store.
“Anything that’s downtown we can bring out here,” says Nikolaus.
Stocked are a wealth of vitamins, supplements and herbs, as well as organic skin and body care products including lotion, moisturizer and hand soap from such brands as Burt’s Bees, Dr. Bronner’s, Alaffia and EO. Natural makeup products from Mineral Fusion are available, as is a selection of men’s shaving products from Dr. Bronner’s, Badger and Kiss My Face, to name a few. And toothpaste — not only can you pick up organic brands like Tom’s of Maine, Nature’s Gate and Desert Essence, but Crest is here, too.
An entire section is dedicated to mothers and children, with natural remedies for everything from difficult breastfeeding to teething to fevers and tummy aches. Again, there are also some “old standbys” here, like Motrin.
With the store’s large selection of organic products shelved next to non-organic brands, “we have a foot in both worlds,” says Kilmer.
Community Pharmacy–west 6333 University Ave., Middleton, Noon-7 pm Mon.-Fri., 10 am-5 pm Sat., 608-310-5390
