Get to know Albury/Wodonga’s Most Outstanding Business for 2023 – Formulae Albury

AlburyCBD:  Tell us a bit about you and your business – who you are, how you got started and what you love about running Formulae.

Andrew:  I was born and bred in Wodonga, then moved away to study a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree. After living and working all over the world, my wife and I decided to move back to the border three years ago as we believe it is the perfect area to raise our children. I had a chance meeting with Formulae co-founder and store owner, Ben Eshelby. We instantly bonded over our desire to run a pharmacy that is a respected health destination rather than a retail store.

Shortly after I took on the role of Pharmacist in Charge at Formulae Albury, Ben returned to Queensland, where he runs another store in the group and builds the Formulae brand. We still work very closely together on plans and ideas for the Albury store. Albury is the flagship store of the group, so it is a very exciting place to be, as we are often the first to roll out new protocols and products.

I love working at Formulae as every single day is different. I genuinely feel we are helping our customers improve their quality of life. Our role is to make products that are not available commercially, essentially where there is a gap in the market.

Some patients have tried everything available, and it is up to us to think outside the box and find a solution that is created individually for them in our on-site laboratory. We regularly see patients who are highly despondent about their conditions as they believe there is no way for them to be treated.

When we can help these patients by creating a product specifically for them, it can literally change their lives, which provides a huge level of job satisfaction knowing we can help.

AlburyCBD:  You’ve been operating as Formulae for a while now; how long, and how has your business changed and grown since you rebranded?

Andrew:  We rebranded to Formulae in September 2022. Prior to this, we were trading as Border Compounding Pharmacy in Albury for over a decade. The rebrand has been hugely positive for us and has taken our store to a new level.

We’re now part of a collective of compounding pharmacists across Australia, including many who are nationally recognised leaders in the field. Through these networks, we’ve been able to greatly improve the range of products we have on offer for our patients. As a result, we now offer specialty consultations in areas such as skin, gut health, nutrition, hormone treatments, pain and sleep, with many more protocols being released soon.

Our patients now get dedicated time slots to discuss their needs in-depth with our pharmacists or skin consultants, which has yielded fantastic results.

AlburyCBD:  What do you love most about what you do?

Andrew:  Being able to tell someone we can help them when they’ve been told by so many others that there is nothing that can be done for them.

When we receive feedback from someone who hasn’t slept properly for years and then has a solid night’s sleep or someone who has been in debilitating pain that is now gone, it well and truly makes our day and reminds us why we put in all the hard work to create these products.

AlburyCBD:  If you weren’t running Formulae, what would you be doing?

Andrew:  Being a compounding pharmacist, I love mixing potions, so I’d still like to do something that involves creating new things. I do dabble in homebrew, so I would love to have my own micro-brewery…but based on the last batch of beer I made, I think it’s best to stick to pharmacy!

AlburyCBD:  Why did you choose Albury CBD for your business location?

Andrew:  I spent the first 18 years of my life in Albury/Wodonga then moved away for around 15 years and worked all around the world. I’ve seen how much the Albury CBD has changed and expanded over the years and I truly believe it is one of the most vibrant regional areas in Australia. It has all the amenities of a big city, with the relaxed vibe of a country town. I see the area going from strength to strength, so the CBD is the perfect place to run our business.

You can find Formulae at 2/502 Smollett St. Keep up with everything they have going on via Facebook and Instagram, and check out their website to book an appointment or learn more about their products and services.

Formulae Albury is an AlburyCBD Gift Card business