Comings & Goings: Rockford pharmacy fills custom orders

ROCKFORD Rock Valley Compounding Pharmacy makes custom medications to meet unique physician and patient needs.

The pharmacy opened last month in a 2,000-square-foot space at 811 S. Perryville Road. Its owned by Jon Lehan, a pharmacist who has grown up in the industry his father, Tim, owns Lehan Drugs in DeKalb, and his brother, Jim, is the new pharmacys business director.

Lehan recognized an opportunity to help Rockford-area health care providers and patients with custom medication needs and to help fill orders when providers experience nationwide drug shortages, which have become more common in recent years. The pharmacy also specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, pain management and filling compounding requests from veterinarians, dentists and dermatologists.

The pharmacy features a state-of-the-art compounding lab, a sterile clean room and a private consultation room. Medications can be prepared in several formats, including lozenge, lollipop, cream or ointment.

On Friday, Alia Birdwell, a third-year pharmacy student at the University of Illinois-Rockford, ran a small amount of vitamin B12 through a machine that smoothes out the usually grainy pink substance. Doing that allows the vitamin to be made into a cream or ointment.

A sterile room allows staff to make eyedrops and IV fluids. Custom medications benefit patients who cant take medication orally, might be allergic to certain ingredients or need treatment to be localized to a specific part of the body.

Rock Valley Compounding Pharmacy (779-423-0542), which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, celebrates its official grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday.

Chef starts eatery A familiar chef is opening a restaurant on East Riverside Boulevard in Rockford.

Philippe Forcioli, the executive chef at Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort, received a liquor license last week for the spot, which he will call GreenFire or GreenFire Market. Forcioli said it will focus on simple and seasonal cuisine, will have a special selection of juice and nonalcoholic drinks, and will feature a retail market where patrons can buy wine and gourmet grocery items.

Forcioli, who has worked at or consulted on restaurants around the globe and ran Cafe Patou in Rockford, isnt leaving Cliffbreakers but wanted to branch out with a new eatery when he learned that the space, 6795 E. Riverside Blvd., was available. It most recently operated as Happy Joes Pizza & Ice Cream but closed in January.

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Comings & Goings: Rockford pharmacy fills custom orders