The prescription counter at 278 Maple Ave. has had an Acampora behind it since 1964. North Haven Pharmacy calls itself “your true neighborhood pharmacy,” and its regulars mean it: they talk about being greeted by name, about pharmacists who double-check their medications, and about a family that has kept an independent drugstore going for more than six decades.
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Here is the story of the family behind the counter, who works there now, what customers say and what to know before you stop in.
“Pay me when you can”
It started with Pasquale Acampora. According to the pharmacy’s website, he graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and spent 18 years at Grannis Corner Pharmacy in New Haven before opening North Haven Pharmacy in 1964. “Pat built a successful business and a loyal clientele with hard work and long hours,” the family writes.
His son Gerard grew up watching how his father treated people. “Many, many times on his way home from work he would deliver medicine to a family, or if someone couldn’t afford a medication, he said, ‘No worries, take your medicine. Pay me when you can,’” Gerard says in a profile on the pharmacy’s website. “I saw that in my father, and it’s continued with me.”
Gerard graduated from the UConn School of Pharmacy in 1978 and joined his father in the business. In 1986, when Pasquale retired, Gerard and his brother Lawrence bought the pharmacy, according to the website. State business records show North Haven Pharmacy, Inc. was organized that same year at 278 Maple Ave. Lawrence was a part owner until he retired in 2010 and, the website says, “still remains active in some aspects of the pharmacy business.” Gerard remains the pharmacist and owner.
Three generations and a doctor behind the counter
The staff page reads like a family tree. Gerard’s wife, Kathleen Acampora, spent 23 years as a real estate paralegal before joining the pharmacy full-time in 2006. She is the front store manager, bookkeeper and a pharmacy technician, and she buys the gifts that fill the front of the store. State records list Gerard and Kathleen as the company’s officers.
Pharmacist Lisa C. Awugah earned her doctor of pharmacy degree from UConn in 2009, where she received the Pharmacy Commission Award for excellence in community pharmacy, according to the website. She joined the staff full-time, “working alongside her father to provide quality service to the Town of North Haven and surrounding communities as started by her grandfather.” That makes her the third generation at the counter.
Then there is Dr. Paul Acampora, Gerard and Lawrence’s brother. Paul is a retired physician who started as an emergency department doctor at Waterbury Hospital and most recently practiced occupational medicine at Concentra, the website says. He joined the pharmacy as a technician in 2012.
An independent in a chain-store world
Running an independent pharmacy has not gotten easier. In a December 2023 CT Examiner story on fees that pharmacy benefit managers charge pharmacies after the fact, Acampora said he expected to pay about $50,000 in retroactive fees for that year, according to a summary by the National Community Pharmacists Association.
The pharmacy has also leaned into the services that bring people through the door. During the hard 2017-18 flu season, Acampora told FOX61 it was “the busiest flu season that I can recall since being in business since 1978,” and estimated the pharmacy was up to about 250 flu shots that season, compared with 120 the year before.
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What locals say
North Haven Pharmacy has a 4.9-star rating from 35 Google reviews, and the word that keeps coming up is family.
“This local pharmacy truly stands out,” Carly wrote earlier this year. “The staff and pharmacists are consistently helpful, efficient, and genuinely friendly. They always take the time to answer questions and make every interaction feel personal.” She also liked the “great selection of unique gifts and cards, which makes it such a convenient one-stop shop.”
Andrew wrote that he and his wife have been customers since 2005 and drive in from East Haven to keep doing business there. “By far THE nicest pharmacy that we have ever dealt with!” he wrote. “Doing business with a family owned business is like night and day vs a national company.”
Dinny recalled a prescription delay that the owner smoothed over. “The owner was so nice to give me a stash for almost 2 weeks without any cost,” Dinny wrote. “They recognize you by your name and strive to give you an outstanding service everytime.”
Charles noted that “they double check in case you have conflicting medicines” and “greet customers by first name,” and wrote that his insurance copays and nonprescription prices matched the big chains. Al put it simply, writing that the pharmacy “beats big retail chain stores” and that “it’s no comparison.”
What to know before you go
Vaccines and health checks. The pharmacists give flu, COVID-19, pneumonia and shingles shots, and shingles shots don’t require a prescription, according to the pharmacy’s services page. Call to make an appointment. You can also ask for a blood pressure check, and the pharmacy offers medication therapy management, a one-on-one review of everything you take, which can be free for patients who qualify under their Medicare plan.
Vitamins and wellness. The shelves carry vitamins and supplements, including the Windmill and Nature’s Bounty brands, according to the website.
Cards for every occasion. A long wall of greeting cards runs past the prescription counter, including a newer line from Designer Greetings and Leanin’ Tree cards, which are made in America.
Gifts made in Connecticut and the USA. Kathleen’s gift section leans local. The pharmacy lists Thompson chocolates, Goat Boy soaps and beaded jewelry by Leslie’s Creations, all made in Connecticut, plus American-made Green Toys and Vermont Bentwood Handcraft jewelry.
Nighthawks gear. The pharmacy sells T-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants with the North Haven High School logo, a handy stop before a game.
Coming up. Starting Nov. 2, the pharmacy will collect new, unwrapped toys for the North Haven Community Toy Bank through Dec. 4, according to its events page. It is also reminding customers that Small Business Saturday is Nov. 28. The pharmacy will be closed on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.
If you go
- Where: 278 Maple Ave., North Haven
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Sunday, according to its website
- Phone: (203) 239-2086
- Online: northhavenpharmacy.com, where you can also request a refill
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