A History Big Pharma Would Rather You Forget:

A History Big Pharma Would Rather You Forget: Why “Apothecary” Is More Than Just a Word.

When Big Pharma gets threatened by dried herbs and candlelight, you know you’re doing something right. Here’s the real story behind why we were told to erase the word “apothecary” from our business—and why we refused.

The Word That Sparked a Legal Threat

Last fall, we received an official letter from the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP). It wasn’t a warm welcome or a collaborative conversation. It was a demand and a formal threat.

Their message? That The Herbal Apothecary must immediately stop using the word “apothecary”—or face legal consequences, including fines of up to $75,000, six months imprisonment and/or both.

All of this, simply for using a centuries-old word in connection with herbs, teas, and natural wellness. A herbal wellness shop was being threatened for using a word that has existed for centuries.

For using a word.

Not for selling pharmaceuticals.
Not for misleading customers.
Not for endangering public health.

Just… a word.

Let that sink in… 

Why? Because a local pharmacist, uncomfortable with our name, filed a complaint.

They Had No Jurisdiction. But They Still Came Knocking.

The ACP’s own website makes their role clear:

"The Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) regulates pharmacists, the practice of pharmacy, and the operation of licensed pharmacies."

We are none of those things.

We are not pharmacists.
We do not practice pharmacy.
We are not a licensed pharmacy.

We were accused of impersonating a pharmacy—something we have never done, nor ever claimed to do.

So why was the ACP contacting us at all—let alone issuing threats?

Especially considering that the ACP’s own mandate is to regulate pharmacists and licensed pharmacies—not independent herbal businesses like ours.

There was no legitimate urgency to justify a phone call at 9 p.m. on a Sunday—an action that speaks more to intimidation than to professional conduct.

The answer points to something deeper:
When institutions overreach their authority, urgency and intimidation often replace due process.

Our Lawyer Responded—and Set the Record Straight

Thankfully, we sought legal counsel. And the response from our lawyer was crystal clear:

“You are wrong at law. The ACP does not have a monopoly on the word ‘apothecary.’”

The ACP’s interpretation of the Pharmacy and Drug Act was shown to be flawed. As our lawyer outlined, there is no prohibition on the use of the word “apothecary”—unless it's used in a way that implies a business is dispensing prescription or controlled drugs.

We don’t.
We never have.
And we never claimed to.

The law prohibits impersonating a pharmacy—not using the word in its historic and herbal context. And there was no evidence that anyone had ever mistaken our store for a pharmacy. Not even the original complainant said so.

Our business sells herbs, teas, tinctures, candles, soaps, and superfoods—not prescription drugs or chemically synthesized medications. Nothing we offer meets the legal definition of a “drug” under the Act. No one stepping into our shop could reasonably confuse us with a pharmacy.               

So why the threats? Why the sudden aggression?

The ACP’s Quiet Walk-Back

After receiving our lawyer’s detailed response—formally alleging professional misconduct against the ACP’s Complaints Director—the ACP did what regulators often do when they’ve overstepped:

They launched an internal review… of themselves.

Just under 4 months later, we received their response:

They admitted that their Complaints Director acted outside his legal authority.
They acknowledged he did not have jurisdiction to issue the threats he made.
They even noted he was never even appointed as an investigator.

Despite acknowledging all of this, the ACP concluded there was "insufficient evidence" of unprofessional conduct—and quietly dismissed the complaint.

No apology.
No accountability.
No acknowledgment of the chilling effect this kind of intimidation has on small businesses.

Just a quiet admission that, “Yes, the process was flawed—but no, no one will be held responsible.”

So… What Was This Really About?

We believe this wasn’t about confusion. It wasn’t about law. It wasn’t about protecting the public.

It was about control.

You see, when you follow the money, the picture becomes clearer. Pharmacies haven’t suddenly developed a reverence for roots and flowers—they’ve entered the natural health space because the market is booming. As they expand further into herbal wellness, the presence of independent, values-driven, plant-based businesses becomes inconvenient. 

After all, when traditional healing thrives outside the pharmaceutical system—without a massive distributor, and without a patent—it begins to threaten the very industries that profit from control.

And when a small, independent, woman-owned business chooses to center its work around traditional herbal healing—offering nature’s wisdom as a first choice rather than a last resort—it naturally draws attention. Not all of it is welcome.

Especially when our business name connects people back to something they’ve forgotten—something Big Pharma would rather you forget:

That healing didn’t begin in a lab. It began in the forest, the field, the kitchen, the garden.
That “apothecary” was once a word of respect and wisdom, not a threat to institutions.
That you, as a sovereign being, have the right to take ownership of your wellness—and to choose natural healing without interference.

They Didn’t Expect Us to Know the Law—Or Stand Our Ground

Let’s be honest: this story could have ended differently.

The ACP likely expected us to comply quietly—to change our name, erase our identity, and carry on.
They didn’t expect us to read the fine print.
They didn’t expect us to lawyer up.
And they definitely didn’t expect us to fight back.

But here's the part that hurts:

How many others didn't fight back?

• Small business owners, herbalists, natural health shops.

• How many others received similar letters and folded—because they were scared, because they didn’t have legal support, or because they didn’t know their rights?

• How many changed their names, pulled products from shelves, and kept quiet?

The fight we’re in?
It’s not over, over seven months later, our fight is still ongoing. 

Not for us. Not for herbalists. Not for anyone choosing to walk a different path toward healing.

What This Means for You

This is bigger than just one word.
It’s about your right to access natural health.
It’s about the preservation of herbal wisdom.
It’s about the power of language—and who gets to own it.

We believe no one should be bullied out of their identity.
We believe herbalism belongs to the people.
We believe that truth, tradition, and community will always outlast corporate overreach.

We’re Still Here. Still Herbal. Still an Apothecary.

We didn’t back down.
We didn’t change our name.
We didn’t let fear dictate our identity.

And we won’t.

Why This Matters

Because this isn’t just about us.

It’s about who gets to define health.

It’s about what voices get silenced.

It’s about what herbal wellness means—and who gets to claim it.

It’s about herbal sovereignty.

It’s about truth.

And it’s about standing firm in the face of intimidation.

We're not asking for permission to exist.

We’re here.
We’re rooted.
And we’re not going anywhere.

If this story resonated with you, we’d love for you to share it.

Simply copy the url or click on the share link above and pass it along — herbal sovereignty grows stronger when we stand together. 

Thank-you for standing with us.

• The Herbal Apothecary Team