After a fitful night of sleep with your ailing child, you finally emerge from the doctor’s office with intentions of heading home. But then you remember you still have to haul yourself to the pharmacy to get your child’s prescription filled. So you brace yourself for at least another hour of prolonged waiting with an ill, irritable, and possibly frenzied kid.
Manhattan pharmacist Charles Tabouchirani, father of two, knows firsthand the experience of dragging sick kids through overcrowded, commercial pharmacies where already harried parents are given little attention while their kids (the patients) are basically ignored. Along with fellow pharmacist William Brownstein (whose wife is expecting their first child this month!), the two combined their 30 years of pharmaceutical experience and came up with a unique idea in pediatric patient care: create a fun and caring environment that caters to children and have them take a proactive approach in their own medical care. They opened Cherry’s Pharmacy, which also caters to mothers-to-be and new moms.
Tabouchirani says that this first of its kind approach to pharmaceutical care was born out of witnessing the “lack of care and attention for parents and children” in the typical commercial pharmacy. Cherry’s strives to give each parent and child individualized attention. As children play in a Thomas the Tank Engine truck, ride on a circus train, or look at the cherry tree, parents are instructed on the proper use of medication. Afterwards, the children are counseled — helping kids take responsibility for their own health care. Improper use of medication or missing a dose can lead to recurrent infections, so taking medicine as prescribed is vital. To mix with the medication, the child can choose flavorings such as apple, banana, strawberry, grape, and, of course, cherry.
Also on hand are transdermal gels that are absorbed through the skin and are most commonly used for fever, pain, nausea and vomiting. Any parent who has ever cared for a child with an unrelenting stomach virus and lived to tell about it will agree that these can be a godsend. Moms-to-be: these are also safe and effective for pregnant women!
Cherry’s Pharmacy is located at 207 East 66th Street. (212) 717-7797 Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am–7pm; Saturday 8:30am–5pm.
Customs kids’ flavoring — 40 flavors! — is also available at Kings Pharmacy, 5 Hudson Street in Tribeca. Their pharmacists will flavor any prescription or over-the-counter liquid medication. They also offer free prescription pick-up and delivery: (212) 791-3100.
