Pharmacist in Charge Carolyn Retterer attended Indiana University, earning degrees in biology, psychology and natural sciences, and a Masters in Biological Science with an emphasis in Neurobiology. Carolyn then graduated from Midwestern University with a doctorate of pharmacy. Being a pharmacist at an independent pharmacy gives Carolyn the opportunity to develop face-to-face relationships with patient-customers, making an impactful difference on their lives. Carolyn takes very seriously the responsibility of often being the first point of contact in a customer’s health care, providing direct, immediate care in many circumstances. Carolyn grew up in Chicago’s western suburbs. She is married and lives in Oak Park with her family. She has a passion for gardening and a lively interest in historic architectural preservation and interior design.

Senior Pharmacist Tom Rains earned his Pharmacy degree in 1978 at University of Illinois Chicago and then purchased a local pharmacy. While in college, Tom moved to Oak Park from Chicago’s south suburbs. He married a local girl and they have three adult children and two grandchildren. Tom loves outdoor activities, including e-biking, tennis, skiing and fishing.

Ken grew up in the Oak Park area, began working at Segreti Pharmacy as a college student and graduated from University of Illinois’ College of Pharmacy. He became the owner of Segreti in 1985. In 2025, Ken and Segreti joined Sear’s Pharmacy. Discovering medication compounding reenergized Ken’s love of pharmacy and he began compounding for pets in the early 2010’s. “Compounding is an art as well as a science. Pet parents are thankful and appreciative that we can help take care of their furry family.” Ken explains, “In compounding, we use our knowledge to solve problems by altering the dosage form, such as tablets, liquids or even a transdermal gel, the flavor to make it species friendly, and the dose amount, based on the size of the pet. This involves science; knowledge of the drug and the pet species, and art to compound the medication into a stable, biologically available product.” Ken is a pet parent to Lola, a Kerry Blue Terrier. He loves to travel, visiting regions along around the globe such as Africa and the Middle East to Europe and Canada. He has four adult children, and shares six grandchildren with his partner. “What we do is challenging and rewarding. I make people and pets happy!”

Pharmacist Jalal Mataria attended Annajah National University in Nablus Palestine, earning a B.S. Pharmacy. He has been a licensed, pharmacist since 2005 and board certified since 2010. Jalal speaks English and Arabic. Jalal, with an open and caring demeanor, loves innovation and is always seeking new pharmaceutical technologies that will help patients and the organizations that care for them. He is devoted to clinical excellence and extraordinary customer service. At the age of 6, Jalal began spending his afternoons in his dad’s pharmacy, watching his father fill prescriptions, talk with and help customers, and improve the quality of life for patients. Jalal is married and has three boys. He and his wife live in Orland Park.