WATERLOO - Where do you go for fine wines in Waterloo?

At one time, it was, of all places, a pharmacy.

Now, instead of wines, Q&T Pharmacy specializes as a one-stop shop for in-home medical supplies, says its owner, Jim Hughes.

It's not the first major shift in director for the downtown pharmacy.

The line of international wines was a nice business, he said.

Then, last year, he lost the department's manager.

"I couldn't find another manager that handled it like the one lady did, so it was just a good time to make a big change again," Hughes added.

In May 2007, Hughes got out of the wine business and started bringing in an array of medical supplies.

"Now, we do oxygen, oxygen concentration, lift chairs, scooters, wheelchairs, hospital beds," he said. "Whatever the needs are, we try to accommodate them."

Hughes said he was approached by Convacare, a company that works with independent pharmacies in the home health-care business.

"They called me to franchise with them," Hughes said. "They do all the billing for insurance. They do all the home medical supplies for us."

Well, many of them, anyway. Hughes has since taken on other suppliers, as well.

"There's a lot of home medical supplies they (Convacare) don't handle, so we've signed with others for all of that," Hughes said. "We signed one for lift chairs orthopedic shoes and other items."

He also hired Cristina Swinton, a respiratory therapist. Pharmacy technician Lorrie Billings helps out as de facto manager.

"She and Lori are the ones in charge of things that don't have to do with the pharmacy," Hughes said. "It's just been a good addition to us, because it was medically related. We even supply hospital beds now."

The line of medical supplies gives patients one more option they might not have otherwise, Hughes said.

"I never realized in oxygen and oxygen concentrators, the primary orders come from doctors when people are in the hospital, and both hospitals here have their own suppliers," Hughes said. "We're actually competing with them. It just gives patients another choice."

Although the change is nearly a year and a half old, the pharmacy has never gotten around to pausing for some sort of celebration.

Until this week, that is.

On Tuesday, Hughes and his staff are holding an open house from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the pharmacy.

"It's kind of a grand reopening," he said, adding that there will be gifts for kids. "They've ordered all kinds of things."

It will be a nice occasion to mark the change in the store's direction and to say thanks to its clientele, Hughes said.

"It's been well received," he said. "It's just continually growing. We just never had a grand opening when we should have."

Contact Jim Offner at (319) 291-1598 or jim.offner@wcfcourier.com.