Pharmacy carves niche with customized prescriptions

This piece is presented by MetaBank.

Every prescription Cheri Kraemer fills is unique.

Kraemer, the owner of Pharmacy Specialties & Clinic Inc., has built her business around customization. It’s a big trend in health care, but one she recognized early when she founded the business in Sioux Falls 16 years ago.

Since 2001, Kraemer gradually has focused more on the compounding prescription side of her business. Compounding prescriptions – mixing individual ingredients in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient – used to be fairly common in pharmacies.

The growth of mass production in medications has made it nearly a lost art.

But it’s become a strong niche for Kraemer, who late last year sold off the retail portion of her business to focus entirely on compounding and nutrition.

“We can treat all areas of the patient. We look at people as a whole. And part of our approach is adding nutrition to the treatment plan. A lot of times, nutrition complements prescriptions or can replace deficits created by a certain prescription.”

Pharmacy Specialties & Clinic can work with any physician. Each compound prescription is customized to the patient. And while there are quite a few compounding pharmacies nationwide, there aren’t many regionally that specialize in it.

“Individualization drives our business,” Kraemer said. “For example, a pediatric heart patient needs very specific doses of medication. These types of medications are common for adults, but they’re not mass-produced for babies. This is the gap that we fill. We can adjust dosing as the child grows and based on their needs.”

Pharmacy Specialties & Clinic owner Cheri Kraemer and Kathy Thorson, market president of MetaBank

Kraemer’s progressive approach to her business required an equally progressive partner when it came to her business accounts.

“In a way, our business model is very similar to Cheri’s,” said Kathy Thorson, MetaBank Sioux Empire market president. “We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to our business relationships. We take time to understand the business needs of each client and make sure that their banking solutions are a good fit for their business goals.”

“I’ve known Kathy for a long time,” Kraemer said. “I know that I can call her anytime for help, and she always has time for me. Everyone in the office knows me. I don’t feel like another number. I don’t know that I could have this kind of personal relationship with a bank president from another bank in town. Because that’s how I want my customers to feel when they come to my business, I appreciate the personal touch from MetaBank. We share the same business values when it comes to customer service.”

Pharmacy Specialties & Clinic continues to find new ways to serve customers and offer the best possible experience, Kraemer said. She launched a mobile app called RxMobility in 2015.

“The goal was to transform how we help our customers and to ultimately reduce their costs. The app offers prescription refills; notifications when a prescription is ready for pickup, delivery or mail; medication reminders; immediate access to our services; and access to information about our compound and specialty drugs. You can even manage multiple family members’ information through one portal.”

Pharmacy Specialties & Clinic Inc. is at 2333 W. 57th St. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 pm. Monday through Friday.

Want to stay in the know?

Get our free business news delivered to your inbox.



Pharmacy carves niche with customized prescriptions

Compounding prescriptions – mixing individual ingredients in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient – used to be fairly common in pharmacies. The growth of mass production in medications has made it nearly a lost art — but not for one growing Sioux Falls business.

News Tip

Have a business news item to share with us?

Scroll to top