Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing customized medications for patients that dates back to the origins of pharmacy. The introduction of drug manufacturing in the 50's and 60's resulted in the decline of prescription compounding. But the distinct need for compounding in pharmacy still exists and is becoming more important as modern technology and innovative techniques and research have allowed compounding pharmacists to become "problem solvers", able to customize medications to meet specific patient needs.
There are several reasons why pharmacists compound prescription medications; yet, the most important one is patient noncompliance. Many patients are allergic to preservatives or dyes, or are sensitive to standard drug strengths. With a physician's consent, 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 it 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. Or, for those patients who are having a difficult time swallowing a capsule, a compounding pharmacist can make a suspension instead.
The compounding pharmacist is also able to prepare medications that are unavailable as a manufactured drug product, such as bio-identical hormones and their alternative dosage forms and routes of administration. Also compounders are able to prepare drug products that are unavailable from drug manufacturers for long periods of time, or drug products that have been discontinued by large drug companies because they are no longer economically feasible but still needed by physicians and their patients.
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 them with a topical preparation with the anti-inflammatory or analgesic their doctor prescribed for them. Compounded prescriptions often are used for pain management in hospice care.
Compounders focus on meeting special needs. The ultimate goal in preparing any of these customized medications is to help the physician and patient achieve a more positive therapeutic outcome and patient compliance. |
Compounding