James Dolezal was a registered pharmacist living in California during the 1960s when he became increasingly frustrated by his inability to compound and prescribe custom formulations he knew could benefit his customers. Determined to make a greater impact, he sold his pharmacies and returned to his alma mater, Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, to attend medical school. He later completed his dermatology residency at the University of Iowa.

In 1977, after finishing his residency, “Dr. D.” opened a dermatology practice in Council Bluffs, Iowa. However, he quickly grew dissatisfied with the limited availability of products that met his high standards of care. Drawing on both his pharmacy and medical training, he began developing and compounding his own formulations at night, using a spare patient room in his office.