Compounding Information

Compounding is achieved through an essential triad relationship - patient, physician and pharmacist, and is regulated by state boards of pharmacy. The physician first prescribes the medication, then the pharmacist takes the necessary ingredients, compounds them, and dispenses the medicine to the patient after a thorough consultation. This enables patients to receive the type of personalized care they deserve and allows community pharmacists the opportunity to provide superior, patient-oriented services.

 

History of Compounding

The practice of preparing medications dates back to the origins of pharmacy; yet, compounding's presence throughout the pharmacy profession has changed over the years. In the 1930s and 1940s, approximately 60 percent of all medications were compounded. During the 1950s and 60s, with the advent of manufacturing, compounding declined. The pharmacist's role as a preparer of medications quickly changed to that of a dispenser of manufactured dosage forms. In the 1980s, and especially in the 90s, physicians and patients again began realizing the benefits of preparing customized medications to meet specific patient needs. Today, an estimated .7 to one percent of all prescriptions are compounded daily. Compounding pharmacists and technicians receive many hours of continuing education each year. They are highly educated in the art and science of compounding.

 

Compounding Solutions

   * Unique formulas for MS patients

   * Lollipops for weight loss and smoking cessation

   * Specially developed compounds for Psoriasis

   * Compounded hormone therapy along with counseling patients for fees

   * Ear gels for pets to avoid unpleasantness of oral medications

   * Specially designed formula dosage forms for hemorrhoids and anal fissures

   * Working successfully with Fibromyalgia, CFS, and other auto-immune diseased patients

   * Dental Compounding

   * Veterinary Compounding

   * Wound care and Hospice

   * Sports Medicine

   * Physical Therapy

 

Reasons for Compounding

There are several reasons why pharmacists compound prescription medications, yet, the most important one is patient non-compliance. Many patients are allergic to preservatives or dyes, or are sensitive to standard drug strengths. With a physician's prescription, a compounding pharmacist can change the strength of a medication, alter its form to make it easier for the patient to ingest, and add flavor to make it more palatable. The pharmacist also can prepare the medication using several unique delivery systems, such as a sublingual troche or lozenge, a lollipop, or a transdermal gel. For those patients who are having a difficult time swallowing a capsule, a compounding pharmacist can make a suspension instead.

 

Often parents have a tough time getting their children to take their medicine because of the taste. A compounding pharmacist can work directly with the physician and the patient to select a flavoring agent, such as vanilla butternut or tutti frutti, that provides both an appropriate match for the medication's properties and the patient's taste preferences.

 

Compounding pharmacists also have helped patients who are experiencing chronic pain. For example, arthritic patients who cannot take certain medications due to gastro intestinal side effects. Working with their physician, a compounding pharmacist can provide these patients with a topical preparation with the anti-inflammatory or analgesic their doctor prescribed for them.

 

What Is Drug Compounding?

Compounding is the preparation, mixing, assembling, packaging or labeling of a drug by a pharmacist as the result of a practitioner’s prescription.

 

Why Compounding?

The patient's health and comfort are our primary concern. We work closely with many practitioners to achieve that goal. If a patient can't swallow a tablet, a suppository, transdermal gel, sublingual troche or an injection may be appropriate. If a patient is allergic to a dye, preservative, or filler of a commercial product, we can make a similar medication leaving out the problem-causing agent. If the medication is too bitter, the flavor can be altered to suit that person's needs. Here are some of the flavors we offer:

 

Apricot  Caribbean Fruit  Grape  Peach  Tutti Frutti

Banana  Cherry  Green Mint  Pineapple  Rootbeer

Blackberry  Chocolate  Hawaiian Coconut  Sour Apple  Vanilla

Blueberry  Cinnamon  Lemon-Lime  Strawberry  Watermelon

Bubblegum  Coffee  Orange  Tropical Punch  Marshmallow

 

Compounding applications can include:

   * Compounded Hormone Therapy

   * Veterinary

   * Hospice

   * Pediatric

   * Opthalmic

   * Dental

   * Otic

   * Dermatology

   * Chronic Pain Management

   * Neuropathies

   * Infertility

   * Wound Therapy

   * Podiatry

   * Gastroenterology

   * Sports Medicine

   * Medication Flavoring

 

Compounding has been part of healthcare since the origins of pharmacy, and is widely used today in all areas of the industry, from hospitals to nuclear medicine. Over the last decade, compounding's resurgence has largely benefited from advances in technology, quality control and research methodology. The Food and Drug Administration has stated that compounded prescriptions are both ethical and legal as long as they are prescribed by a licensed practitioner for a specific patient, and compounded by a licensed pharmacy. In addition, compounding is regulated by the state boards of pharmacy.

 

In every field of medicine, there are some patients who don't respond to traditional methods of treatments. Those patients may need strengths not manufactured by drug companies, or they simply need a different method of ingesting the medicine. Many patients may respond better to medications not currently available from drug manufacturers.

 

Does your doctor know about compounding?

Prescription compounding is a rapidly growing component of many physicians' practices, but in today's world of aggressive marketing by drug manufacturers, some physicians may not realize the extent of compounding's resurgence in recent years. Ask your physician about compounding, then get in touch with the compounding pharmacists at Service Drug of Midland.

 

The pharmacists here are committed to providing high-quality compounded medications in the dosage form and strength prescribed by the physician. Through a triad relationship of patient, physician and pharmacist, all three can work together to develop the most beneficial medication plan for the patient, expanding the solution beyond commercially available products and enhancing individualized patient care while working to solve unique medical problems.

 

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