WHAT IS A COMPOUNDING PHARMACY?
Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing personalized medications for patients. Compounded medications are made based on a practitioners prescription in which individual ingredients are mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient. This method allows the compounding pharmacist to work with the patient and the prescriber to customize a medication to meet the patient’s specific needs.
Who needs a compounding pharmacy?
There are many reasons a person may need a customized medication:
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Infants often need their medication in smaller dosage strengths than pharmaceutical manufacturers produce.
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People with trouble swallowing due to an injury or disability may not be able to take a medication that is available only in pill form. A liquid or a transdermal gel form would be much more appropriate.
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People with certain allergies may require a gluten-free version, or medication free of dyes.
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Patients may absorb medications in an abnormal manner which manufactured medications aren't able to be absorbed.
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Some medications are effective for an individual but have been discontinued due to lack of profitability. A compounding pharmacist can make these medications as a "one-off" type of situation.
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A manufactured drug might suffer a shortage. A compounding pharmacist can create the medication if no acceptable substitute is found by the doctor.
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Children who refuse their medication due to flavor can often find a more pleasant-tasting medication created by a compounding pharmacist. While children can be very resistant to medications in general, one that tastes like fruit or candy is often more welcome than one that tastes like cod liver oil!
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Veterinary medicines can be compounded to make a flavor that appeals more to your pet. A dog may resist a pill, even if hidden in a piece of cheese. (They have a way of eating around the pill!) A pill that tastes like bacon, cheese, or both seems more like a "treat" than a "treatment"!
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Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy patients require medicine that is designed for their individual bodies.
You are not "just like everybody else.” As a living, breathing being, you are unique by design. Talk to your doctor about how a customized medication from a compounding pharmacy can benefit you.
To learn more contact us today!