This picture inspired me to think about what it's like to grow up in a family business. My niece was in the pharmacy the other day counting these crackers, beside her mom who is a pharmacist. 

 My father has worked in a pharmacy since he was a teenager. He went to school for pharmacy along with his cousin, who then started his career in California. After school my father began his career and family, working for Park Avenue Pharmacy in Bloomfield, CT. My brother and two sisters would often accompany my father at work on holidays when the store was not as busy. We would play in the bins or backroom, stand beside my Dad and help him count pills, find a vial and place the label with tape. We would also work or chat with the staff, help make bows and wrap gifts, play around the fountain in the courtyard, go on deliveries, read comic books, and play on the old scale, which has moved from Park Avenue Pharmacy to Granby Pharmacy.

As teenagers, we all worked with my father, who had then started to work at Granby Pharmacy. Working with Dad was fun, getting to know the other employees and customers. We began to learn about cash registers, answering the phones, putting away orders, back then we did photos, instant lottery tickets, and even took payments for CL & P. Times have changed a bit, but many of the basic elements of working in a pharmacy are still the same.

As adults now, we still work in the store.  My two sisters are pharmacists and I am the manager.  Our children are often in the store, even more than we were.  When they are sick, a day off from school, and after school they come in and hang out with us.  My mother has made the store very cozy for them with blankets and pillows and pack & plays.  They are starting grow out of the baby stuff and now they are interested in the business too.  They love helping at the registers, which now have touch screens and windows that walk them through transactions (for the reading kids).  They help file the prescriptions, play in the aisles, find products, put away magazines, and help shred paper.  

My parents have built a good business in Granby.  We hope to continue their legacy for our community and our own families.

The skin is the body's largest organ.  Nevertheless, the importance of its functional role is often underestimated and its care is taken for granted. Establishing a skin care regimen is important to maintaining healthy, hydrated skin.  Incorporating preventive measures can help reduce or eliminate conditions that may make unprotected skin more susceptible to dermatologic problems.

Pharmacists receive frequent requests for information about various skin care products available for cleansing, moisturizing and protecting the skin.  As accessible health care professionals, pharmacists are in a key position to educate patients about appropriate skin care, especially the necessity of using moisturizers several times a day to improve the skin's appearance and texture.  To understand the importance of moisturizing the skin and factors that may make the skin more susceptible to dryness, pharmacists must be familiar with the skin's composition. Such knowledge allows pharmacists to make appropriate recommendations to patients about skin care products.

Full article is from www.pharmacytimes.com