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Innovative Kimberley pharmacist’s long road to award-winning care

Michelle Gray and the staff of Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy are experts in medication. They also pride themselves on being problem solvers. That often means thinking outside the box, and incorporating knowledge and utilizing techniques for which they have gained the respect of other medical professionals.
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Michelle Gray was just named Canadian Compounding Pharmacist of the Year by the Professional Compounders Centers of America (PCCA)! Visit Kimberley’s award-winning Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy at 417B 304th St. on Highway 95.

Michelle Gray and the staff of Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy are experts in medication. They also pride themselves on being problem solvers. That often means thinking outside the box, and incorporating knowledge and utilizing techniques for which they have gained the respect of other medical professionals.

“I’m in a unique position to be able to bridge traditional, western medicine with complimentary, natural health. Bringing that combined knowledge can give patients new hope when they may think they’ve run out of options,” says Michelle, who’s a certified Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) specialist, Pain Management Consultant, certified compression fitter, and certified Therapeutic Lifestyle educator in addition to being a compounding pharmacist.

READ MORE: Kimberley’s Michelle Gray named PCCA Canadian Compounding Pharmacist of the Year

Michelle started work as a Pharmacy Manager at the Cranbrook Zellers in 1998, a compounding pharmacist at the Kimberley Pharmasave in 2002 and was an associate owner of the Cranbrook Shoppers Drug Mart in 2008 before opening her own pharmacy in 2013 alongside co-owner and husband Andy Gray.

“Having my own business allows me to practice the specialties I have developed over the last 20 years in an environment that is professional and private. And we’ve assembled a fantastic team of experienced staff who share our passion for helping our patients find lasting health,” she says.

What is a compounding pharmacy?

In addition to dispensing regular medications, Gray’s has a specialty service of compounding. Compounding pharmacists create made-to-order, custom medications. In the Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy lab, Registered Pharmacy Technician (R.Ph.T) Heidi Radcliffe uses high-tech equipment and premium chemicals to precisely measure and mix medications, so every dose has a uniform potency.

Benefits of a compounding pharmacy:

  • Change the consumption method:Pills aren’t the only way to take medication. Compounding pharmacists can expertly mix your prescription in a liquid that’s easier to swallow, a topical cream applied directly to the injury, an injection, lozenges and more. This can make a medication more effective, or make it easier to take consistently for patients with cognitive or physical challenges.
  • Fine-tune the dosage: Compounding pharmacists can include five or six active ingredients in a single medication, and can adjust the proportions once they observe how your body reacts. Sometimes patients are allergic to non-medical ingredients in a mass-produced medication (lactose or gelatin, for example), so a compounding pharmacist can create a custom medication without those ingredients.

All of Michelle’s hard work is clearly paying off, because she’s just been named Canadian Compounding Pharmacist of the Year by the Professional Compounders Centers of America (PCCA)! The annual award is presented to a Canadian independent pharmacist who has demonstrated service excellence to patients, health care providers and pharmacy colleagues.

Visit Kimberley’s award-winning Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy at 417B 304th St. on Highway 95 in Kimberley, open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. You can also get in touch by calling 250-427-0038, emailing pharmacist@grayspharmacy.ca, or on Facebook at facebook.com/grayspharmacy.