At first, Anish says, business was slow. “I decided to get in my car and visit doctors’ offices to let them know what we offer,” he recalls. “Because this was toward the end of the pandemic, we were still wearing masks. It’s hard to make a human connection with a stranger wearing a mask, so we faced a lot of rejection from receptionists in doctors’ offices.”

 But the pharmacists persevered, ultimately connecting with women’s health doctors, dermatologists, infectious disease specialists and pain management specialists. “Around September of last year, our volume of business suddenly tripled,” says Anish. “Word was getting around, I think, that we provide outstanding customer service, quick turnaround and affordable prices.”

One of their clients at that time was an elderly woman whose deep calf wound was not healing, putting her at risk of imminent amputation. Her dermatologist prescribed a compounded, topically applied antibiotic.

“Oral antibiotics weren’t working with her particular wound infection,” Anish explains. “Because the blood flow to the area was reduced or almost absent, oral and intravenous medication barely reached it. At least with topical medication, there was a chance.” 

In that patient’s case, the topical antibiotic they created cleared the infection and saved her leg.

Though Epiphany, like most compounding pharmacies, doesn’t contract with insurance companies—because insurance typically doesn’t cover compounded medications—their prices are affordable. “A simple retinol product,” Anish says, “is less than a dollar a day.”

 Sarver, who also owned his own business and understands the challenges of starting a new entity, says it’s exciting to see the highly skilled pharmacists have an entrepreneurial mindset and be willing to go out on their own. 

“Before their business even launched, they had a request for a pretty large loan,” he says. “Other banks may not have been able to lend them the money at that point, but National Bank of Arizona was able to see where their business was going and that they needed funds to get off the ground.”

 Anish appreciates the personalized service. “I can call Chris at any time and he’s available to help me or answer questions. I called him once and he answered the phone while he was sitting on a beach on vacation. Very impressive.”

“These pharmacists are so caring and really believe in helping people,” Sarver says. “They create medications [at a lower cost] than other places because they all have a heart for what they do. They place their clients over profits, for sure.”