Gallipot Pharmacy cuts ribbon in Calera and is open for business

By Joey McWilliams

CALERA – Calera residents can look at a shorter drive to get prescriptions filled as a new pharmacy is now open in town.

Business presented by KTC.

Gallipot Pharmacy, under the ownership of Josiah Schomer, has taken over the space that once housed One Source.

Schomer, a Caddo graduate (Class of 2003), said this new venture has been in the works for a while and that he believes in will be good for the town.

“This opportunity came up when Tony closed down One Source last year and I’ve been in the process of opening it back up for six or eight months now,” Schomer said. “It finally came through.

“We just want to be here for the community – No. 1. I think this place needs a pharmacy, right here, in this location, right by the highway. Calera is growing so much, blowing up out here with all these housing additions. This is something good.”

The name Gallipot refers to the archaic term that has been used for a medical jar, made of clay or of metal, used by pharmacists to hold medicines or ointments.

“I’m wanting to buy some and get our logo on it to get the word,” Schomer said. “Pharmacists know the word, but the general public often doesn’t. But they will.”

Pharmacist Josiah Schomer (Right) and technician Toni Cass are ready to serve at Gallipot Pharmacy. Staff photo.

After graduating from Caddo, Schomer got his undergraduate degree at Southeastern in 2007. He has worked at TMC in Denison, Ada Rolling Hills Hospital and Northeastern Health System in Tahlequah.

He also went to OU in Tulsa and has been a pharmacist since 2011 and said it is nice to be back home.

“To be able to interact with people I knew in college and those instructors is great,” Schomer said.

“And I know quite a few people in Caddo and hope they will come down here and to see Dr. Weathers (who runs the Urgent Care/Family Care clinic in the building next to Gallipot Pharmacy). He had a clinic there at one time. Hopefully, those folks will transfer down this way and drive to see me and Dr. Weathers at the same time.”

And Schomer said it was important to him to take care of the local people.

“My wholesaler is regional, in Shreveport, and they don’t serve but a small geographical area compared to some of the other wholesalers that some other places use. My software vendor is from Shreveport.

“As we get the business going, we’re going to have local items in here and really support the community. We want to help other people out and in turn, they help me by bringing their scripts here.”

Gallipot is located at 213 E. Main in Calera and can be reached by phone at (580) 448-2315.