5 Benefits of Pharmacy Compounding You Shouldn't Miss

5 Benefits of Pharmacy Compounding You Shouldn’t Miss

While pharmaceutical compounding has been around for a long time, it’s now growing in popularity as well as availability as more people become aware of its benefits. Simply said, pharmacy compounding combines art and science to provide patients with personalized, unique drugs.

Compounding is the process of taking a physician’s prescription and combining ingredients to make a customized drug that fits a patient’s specific needs. The pharmacist can work closely with both the physician and the patient to ensure that the patient’s specific medical requirements are met.

What Is The Definition of Compounding?

The practice of integrating, mixing, or changing substances to create a treatment customized to a specific patient’s needs is known as drug compounding. Compounding is the process of mixing two or more medications. The FDA has not authorized compounded medications.

Compounding Pharmacy and Its History

Pharmacy has an interesting, well-documented history. “Apothecary” was the correct term for a pharmacy back then. The profession dates back to ancient Babylon (circa 2600 BC) where clay tablets were found with medical texts that recorded symptoms, the prescriptions, and the directions for compounding them.

Apothecaries had herbs and medicine for sale, besides offering general medical advice and a range of services that are now performed by other specialist practitioners like doctors and surgeons. In 17th century England, they also controlled the trade of tobacco, which was imported as a medicine.

The role of the apothecary is not taken over by pharmacies. A pharmacist assesses the patient and takes recommendations from the doctor before returning to the apothecary to hand-make a precise formula for the patient. In German-speaking countries, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, pharmacies or chemist stores are still called apothecaries.

With the onset of the industrial era, huge batches of pre-mixed formulas became available to the masses at pharmacies. Generalized medication became the option of choice as they were readily available for distribution.

From there, two different kinds of pharmacies branched out: retail and compound pharmacies.

The role of compounding pharmacies is to create drugs prescribed by doctors for patients with specific needs that commercially available drugs can’t meet. They combine the ingredients in-house to meet the individual’s health requirements. Patients need a prescription for all compounded medications, just as they do for retail pharmaceutical prescriptions.

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Why Do Some Individuals Need Compounded Medications?

A drug can be compounded for a patient who can still be treated with just an FDA-approved pharmaceutical. However, it’s especially useful for patients who are allergic to dyes or fillers, people (especially kids) who cannot swallow tablets and require a liquid dosage form, and so on. Whenever an FDA-approved drug isn’t medically the right fit to treat a patient, doctors in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities may prescribe compounded drugs.

Compounding can help meet a critical patient’s requirement in certain cases. On the other hand, some compounders engage in actions that potentially endanger patients and/or jeopardize the medication approval process. For example, the FDA has discovered that certain compounders have made misleading and false claims about the safety and effectiveness of compounded pharmaceuticals, often for the treatment of critical conditions, by wrongly implying that the drugs have passed FDA approval criteria.

That’s why it’s of utmost importance to go to a compounding pharmacy that is professional and transparent about its processes. Compounding can be a great solution for so many people. Here are the 5 main advantages of pharmaceutical compounding:

1. Compounding Facilitates Drug Administration 

5 Benefits of Pharmacy Compounding You Shouldn't Miss
5 Benefits of Pharmacy Compounding You Shouldn’t Miss

It’s no secret that several drugs taste bad and are difficult to swallow. This can make it difficult to take prescriptions as directed, particularly for patients infamously known for being picky about textures and flavors, such as small children, older adults, and even pets. Thankfully, a compounding pharmacy can create your prescribed drugs in the flavors of your choice, making them much more enjoyable and easier to take.

2. Patients Can Obtain Medications That Are No Longer Available Or Are Difficult To Find

One of the most aggravating experiences a patient can have is learning that a drug they require or take regularly has been discontinued or is no longer available. Just because a drug is no longer available doesn’t mean that you don’t need it and the health benefits it offers. A compounding pharmacy is a valuable ally in obtaining access to canceled or difficult-to-find prescriptions because they can closely copy or reproduce the drug to guarantee that you continue receiving all of the prescription’s advantages.

3. Alternative Dosage Forms Are Possible With Pharmacy Compounding

Compounding pharmacists can synthesize drugs in the form of your choice, like making them in liquid form and adding flavor to make them taste better. Patients may prefer their drugs in one form or another on occasion. Some patients, particularly children, prefer taking their medications as a suspension in water or even as chewable tablets.

Your prescription can be made in various other forms with a compounding pharmacy. Did you know that drugs can be produced in a topical form in some cases? Your prescription is synthesized into a balm or gel that is applied to the skin and absorbed into the bloodstream as a topical drug. Suppositories and sprays can also be compounded. In addition, a compounding pharmacy can customize your drugs to the precise amount and strength you require.

4. You Can Make Your Meds Allergen Friendly by Compounding Pharmaceuticals

You Can Make Your Meds Allergen Friendly by Compounding Pharmaceuticals
You Can Make Your Meds Allergen Friendly by Compounding Pharmaceuticals

Dyes, flavors, lactose, gluten, alcohol, as well as other substances in traditional pharmaceuticals, might produce allergic reactions or sensitivities. Furthermore, commercially available drugs may contain other ingredients, such as a preservative, that the patient may not tolerate well. A compounding pharmacy can create the medicine without the irritating components, making it safer for the patient.

5. Compounding Clinics Can Provide Services That Larger Pharmacies Cannot or Will Not

A compounding pharmacy’s major responsibility is to get to know its patients and determine their medical needs. What are their symptoms? What drugs have they been prescribed? Have any of the prescriptions caused an adverse or unpleasant reaction? Do you want your medication in a different form or flavor?

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Bottom Line

When it comes to health, knowledge is power. Knowing all the options available to you can help you make informed decisions about your health care. Knowing a compounding pharmacist near you can be a huge advantage, especially if you’re in a situation where you cannot find the over-the-counter medications you need.

While you may have legitimate concerns about compounded drugs, it might be reassuring to know that the State Boards of Pharmacy and the Federal Food and Drug Administration regulate compounding pharmacies. This means that you should only work with a licensed compounding pharmacy.

Explore our website to discover more about our numerous specialties as well as the services we provide for your complete family, including your pets. 

We’d be delighted to hear from you if you have any questions. Please get in touch with us immediately to see how we can assist with your unique healthcare needs.

Why You Should Choose King’s Pharmacy?

We’re Orange County’s best choice for compounded medications. At King’s Pharmacy and Compounding Center, we’re not trying to fit you into commercially available medications. Rather, we aim to create a compound that’s specific to your needs.

Here’s what sets us apart:

  • 30+ years of combined pharmaceutical industry experience.
  • Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is available for both male and female clients.
  • Customized hormone replacement therapy evaluations are available upon request.
  • Compounded prescriptions made on-site that can be available for same-day shipping or pickup.
  • Complimentary statewide shipping via FedEx® on most compounded prescription orders.
  • We accept most insurance plans.