What is Pharmaceutical Compounding?

Quite simply, pharmaceutical compounding is creating the exact medication you need in the way that you need it. Every patient has unique needs and may not benefit from a “one-size fits all” approach to prescribing and delivering medicine.

A compound pharmacist mixes drugs to achieve the correct dosage, strength, form, formulation, and even flavor for a customized pharmaceutical drug that is uniquely your own.

Here are the top eight reasons to use a compound pharmacy:

1. Change in Dosage Form - If a patient is unable to take commercially available medications, or has not responded or experienced adverse effects, numerous options exist. We can compound the needed drug(s) into different dosage forms, such as transdermal gels, topical sprays, suppositories, troches, lozenges, or sub-lingual drops.
   
2. Change in Route of Administration - A medication may only be commercially available as an oral or injectable product, but we can provide additional therapeutic options by compounding alternate dosage forms.
3. Combination Preparations - We can combine compatible drugs into a single dosage form to simplify a medication administration’s schedule and improve compliance.
4. Unavailable Medications - When a medication is out of stock or temporarily unavailable, we can usually obtain the needed drug as a bulk powder and compound a similar preparation.
5. Flavoring - We can flavor each medication to please each individual’s palate, and eliminate aftertastes.
6. Elimination of Problem-Causing Excipients - Medications can be formulated to eliminate unnecessary dyes, sugar, lactose, alcohol, preservatives, or allergens.
7. Dosage Modification - We can compound a medication that contains the most appropriate strength to provide the needed benefit while minimizing the risk of adverse effects. This can be particularly important for a patient with gastro-intestinal issues, kidney or liver disease, or when a drug with a narrow therapeutic index is needed.
8. Prescriber-Specific Formulations – Prescribers often develop unique formulations that meet specific need of their patient population, or acquire “tried and true” formulas during medical training. We commonly prepare these customized medications.