For Kenny Walkup, every day as a pharmacist at the Specialty Medicine Compounding Pharmacy in South Lyon, Mich., brings a new challenge. Take for the example the day a woman called about her duck. The animal had an infection and needed antibiotics.

"The duck only ate one thing, and it was corn," Walkup explained. "We were able to buy some corn, put it through a blender, and puree it, and take the corn juice out of it, and make a suspension for the duck out of corn. We had her bring the duck into the pharmacy, I gave the duck its first doses of medicine here."

In addition to his numerous human customers, Walkup has also prepared special medications for cats, dogs, horses, frogs, fish, and sea horses. So how do you give medicine to a sea horse?

"Put in the water and let the animal swim around," Walkup said. "Or you inject medications into a little shrimp and let the sea horse eat the shrimp."

It's that level of dedication that brings customers facing a wide variety of medical challenges to Walkup's store. His is a compounding pharmacy. That means each prescription is prepared specifically for an individual patient, tailored to meet their medical needs and taste preferences.

"Today's modern drugs fit for a lot of people, but there are people that they just don't work for, whether it's a lactose intolerance, or an allergy to a drug or a color," Walkup said.

Allergic to red dye? Walkup can make your medicine without it. Can't swallow pills? The pharmacy will determine if your medicine can be given as a syrup instead.

The pharmacy also offers a long list of flavor options. Flavors for human patients include chocolate, coconut, pineapple, bubble gum, and teaberry. For the pet medications, owners can choose from apple, beef, catnip, cheese, chicken, peanut butter, and sardine flavors.

Walkup said he enjoys the challenge of working with doctors and patients to devise solutions to problems they may have with mass-produced medications.

"We fill a very small and unique niche of patients, and they really find out about us when they need us," Walkup explained. "It's wonderful. It's nice to know that we make such a huge difference in their lives. That's what makes my job so much fun."

To learn more about the Specialty Medicine Compounding Pharmacy, go to: www.specialty-medicine.com/Index.html