Herschal Smith and Walter Spivey saw a need in Whispering Pines, so the two pharmacists jumped at the chance to fill it.

The two Southern Pines residents will open Village Apothecary in February. The new pharmacy will be on N.C. 22 across Ray's Bridge Road from Jerry's Quick Mart. The business will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

It will have four employees, Smith, Spivey and two technicians.

The business is a complete pharmacy and carries nonpharmaceutical items generally found in chain drugstores. It will be the first pharmacy in Whispering Pines.

"There is no other pharmacy ow," Smith said. "There may be another one with the Food Lion, but we will still have our niche."

The Food Lion is part of a new shopping center being built just down the road from the pharmacy. The grocery store is slated to contain a drive-through pharmacy. It is expected to be completed later this year.

Spivey described his business as a "neighborhood-type pharmacy that cares about its customers." Smith concurred.

"We'll take the time," he said. "We'll compound. We'll deliver. We'll mail. We'll do all the -traditional parts of pharmacy, but we'll do more as well. And hopefully give people better -service."

One unique aspect of Village Apothecary is that it will provide residents with a compounding service. Compounding is the art and science of preparing customized medication to fit the unique needs of a patient - for example, changing nonessential ingredients in medications for patients with allergies, or changing the form of medicine from a pill to a liquid for a patient who has trouble swallowing solids.

"We can even put antibiotics n lollipops," Smith said.

Compounding, which is done with a physician's consent, can also be done for pets.

"We'll really be doing things a lot differently," Smith said of compounding. "You'd have to travel outside this area to find these services."

Smith and Spivey have been in the pharmacy business for years. Both worked for Cooper's Pharmacy in Vass. Spivey worked there for 25 years.

"Half the people in Whispering Pines already know me," Spivey said. "And they know Herschal, too."

Spivey came up with the idea of opening his own business in September. After 25 years with Cooper's Pharmacy, he felt it was time to strike out on his own.

Spivey said Smith was a natural business partner because of his experience. Both men say they have a good working relationship and have a similar view on how the business should be run.

They also said they learned a lot from their former employer and hope to bring what they learned from those experiences to their new business.

"We picked up a lot of the good," Spivey said, "and we also know a lot of the things that could be done to make it better."

Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or by e-mail at tembrey@thepilot.com.