The Apothecary Shops, a national chain of specialty pharmacies with 18 locations in eight states, announced that they are changing their company name and brand, moving forward as Avella Specialty Pharmacy. The name change will fully transfer to all physical store locations, as well as be incorporated into all business operations by August 1, 2012.

Originally established in 1996 as a compounding pharmacy, the new name and brand change represents the recognition and transformation that The Apothecary Shops has received over the last 16 years, as it has expanded and developed into a national specialty pharmacy.

“Inward reflection about our brand brought us to the conclusion that our current name is no longer an accurate description of what our company has become and our pioneering spirit,” said John Musil, the company’s CEO and Founder. “As a growing company, we wanted a name that would better reflect what we do and define our uniqueness as a full-service specialty pharmacy.”

“Since our inception, we’ve taken great pride in the fact that all of our team members do what it takes to regularly provide the highest level of fully-integrated pharmacy services  to our patients and their providers,” said Avella President, Keith Cook. “We reinforced the belief that it was our mission to optimize patient health through a relentless devotion to clinical excellence.”

The new branding came to fruition by identifying the four pillars of the Avella brand; maintaining a pioneering spirit, being a trusted partner, being accessible clinical experts and going above and beyond for all providers and patients. The letters within Avella are selected from key words in the mission statement; Health, Devotion, and Excellence. The infinity logo further illustrates the continuous and uninterrupted commitment to patients and providers.

The Avella name also allows for more consistency in the company’s associated brands, which is comprised of 18 physical locations throughout the U.S., including their state-of-the-art mail order business headquartered in Phoenix.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Avella is a National Specialty Pharmacy, providing individualized care and support to patients since 1996 (formerly operating as The Apothecary Shops, Inc.). Avella’s clinical pharmacists and staff members are experts in managing complex disease states and providing compassionate care. Avella offers a nationwide distribution service to complement 17 retail locations.

For more information on Avella Specialty Pharmacy, please visit www.avella.com.