If you’re a regular prescription customer here at Oswald’s, you’ve definitely seen our antique display case of relics from our 149-year history. They include nametags of both my great-grandparents Harold & Helen Kester, and great-great grandparents Louis & Susie Oswald from pharmaceutical trade shows in years past.

McKesson IdeaShare 2024

Late last month, our Pharmacy Manager Melissa and I traveled to New Orleans to attend the McKesson Trade Show. When I returned, I was looking at the antiques in our display case and realized that Grandpa Oswald and his wife Susie had gone to New Orleans for a drug trade show exactly 90 years prior! I’ve included an Image of Susie’s nametag—which you can see looks more like a medal than a nametag. In the picture to the right, you can see Melissa’s badge—a piece of paper printed out and placed in a plastic sleeve. Some things change, but not always for the better! I’ll send our McKesson rep an image of the 1934 badge and see if they’ll consider a similar one for 2025.

The two days of the conference saw over 3,000 Health Mart Pharmacy members attend from all 50 states! Melissa and I took some great courses on at-home care, nutritional supplements to replete nutrients lost from certain prescription drugs, Medicare enrollment & renewal programs,  immunization opportunities, and even extremely exciting things like inventory control! Okay, well maybe not extremely exciting, but very important.
With our 150th anniversary coming up next year, I’d like to think attending conferences like this is one of the many things that has kept my family’s pharmacy around for so long.

Naperville Sidewalk Sale 2024

We’ve continued to evolve each and every year to thrive from 1875 until this very day! As my dad Bill says about attending these shows, there’s always at least one takeaway that will improve our services to both our employees and customers. Most years, in my experience there are more than just 1! Melissa and I look forward to improving our pharmacy offerings to take care of you and your family with all we’ve learned.

Back home in Naperville, we’re preparing for our annual Sidewalk Sale! Stop by the weekend of the 12th 13th & 14th for our best deals of the year on closeout merchandise. We also are having our summer 20% off puzzle sale! If you haven’t seen our pharmacy antiques, next time you stop by take a look!    ꝶ