How Pharmacy Compounding Works
Are you wondering if pharmacy compounding is the best option for you? Learn about what it involves, the benefits, and whether it’s right for you.
You walk out of your doctor’s office with a diagnosis and a prescription. However, the prescription indicates that you should get the medication at a compounding pharmacy. So what exactly is that and where can you find one?
Pharmacy compounding involves the creation of customized medications to fit your needs, using ingredients from different sources. If you ever require a compounded medication, you’ll be glad to know that this is one of the many services we offer.
Keep reading to learn more about how pharmacy compounding works and whether it’s right for you.
How Pharmacy Compounding Works
Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing personalized medications – from scratch – to meet a patient’s specific needs. A compounding pharmacist mixes individual ingredients together in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient.
The pharmacist works with the patient and the patient’s physician to customize a compounded medication that makes taking it a more positive experience and enables the patient to obtain the most benefit from it.
There are a wide range of scenarios where patients might require a compounded medication:
- Two or more medications that need to be applied as a cream or ointment to the same area
- Oral medication that causes an upset stomach
- Refusal or reluctance to take medication due to its taste
- Physical issues with taking medication, such as gagging when swallowing pills
- Allergies, sensitivities or another aversion to medication ingredients such as flavours or dyes, lactose, sugar, alcohol, gluten, or casein
- Requiring a different dosage not available from a manufacturer
- Medication that has been discontinued by the manufacturer
- Patients who won’t take medication at all, especially children or pets
What are the Benefits of Pharmacy Compounding?
1. Provides Medication in Various Forms
You may have a preference for particular types of medications. Children and the elderly, for example, typically prefer chewable tablets rather than large pills or injections. While over-the-counter vitamins and supplements can help maintain good health, you or your loved ones may still require prescription medicine when illness occurs. With pharmacy compounding, you can get your medications in your most preferred form.
Through pharmacy compounding, medications can be created in a topical form. This makes them more accessible to patients who may not be able to swallow large pills. For example, you can take medications in the form of a gel or cream that is absorbed through the skin and enters the bloodstream.
Compounding pharmacies also offer the advantage of customizing medicines in the exact dosage and strength that you require.
2. Makes Taking Medication Easier
Many prescription drugs on the market are difficult to take because of their unpleasant taste. As a result, many individuals, particularly the elderly, young children, and even pets, have difficulty taking their medications as directed by their doctor.
Pharmacy compounding helps to address this difficulty by customizing the flavour of medications prescribed by doctors. This makes them more appealing and easier to consume.
3. Medications Customised to Your Unique Needs
If you or a loved one has a long-term health condition, it may be difficult to find the treatment or dosage that works best for you. This might be frustrating, especially if physicians inform you there are no other choices available. This can also happen to those who suffer from chronic pain.
Thankfully, there is a way to adjust your medication dosage to meet your unique needs. In these cases, a compounding pharmacy can be of considerable assistance. Here at Wellness Pharmacy, we can work with you to create a personalized medication that does exactly what you need it to.
4. It’s Easily Accessible
The inability to access required medicines due to discontinuation is one of the most common issues that patients experience. The fact is that some medications are necessary for patients even after they have been discontinued.
Compounding pharmacies fill this gap by bringing such medications to those who require them. They duplicate or even reproduce hard-to-find medications that are no longer available on the market. This ensures that you can still get them and continue receiving the medical treatment you need.
5. Offers a Helpful Solution for People With Allergies
Pharmacy compounding can be used to create allergy-friendly medications for people of all ages. Certain prescription drugs may include a variety of substances that can cause allergic reactions or sensitivities like dyes, gluten, alcohol, lactose and flavourings.
If you are sensitive to certain ingredients in prescription medications, you may experience adverse reactions when using prescription products containing such components. Pharmacy compounding can help by providing safer medications that you can tolerate well.
6. Provides the Right Formula For You
Pharmaceutical companies invest significant time and money in order to ensure that their medications are both safe and effective. However, every patient is unique, and the proper medication for one person may not work for another.
If you were to take a drug as prescribed by your doctor, you would have to consume whatever components are contained in that medicine including the inactive components. Therefore, you wouldn’t have the power to choose the amount of active ingredients you want, either. Compounding pharmacies, on the other hand, can be more adaptable and may collaborate with your doctor on the dosage.
The Bottom Line
The most important thing to know about compounding is that it is customizable and may be the right fit for some individuals. If you need a prescription medication but are concerned about the ingredients or dosage, your best option is to consult with a healthcare professional and see if they recommend trying this treatment method.
Finally, if you have any further questions about pharmacy compounding, contact us here.