As medicine advances, the importance of personalized care becomes more evident. Pharmacy compounding, the art of creating customized medications, has emerged as a critical solution in modern healthcare. In fact, according to research, compounding accounts for nearly 3% of all prescriptions filled in the United States.
By tailoring medication to individual needs, pharmacy compounding offers several key benefits, including enhanced accessibility, flexibility in dosage forms, and cost-effectiveness.
In this article, we’ll explore the many advantages of pharmacy compounding and how it’s transforming patient care.
Benefits of Pharmacy Compounding
These include:
Alternative Dosage Forms
Compounding allows pharmacists to alter the form of medication while maintaining the active ingredients. This benefits patients who cannot swallow tablets or capsules, such as those with dysphagia.
By changing a medication’s dosage form to something gentler and easier to ingest, the patient can access essential treatments without struggling with swallowing large pills. Additionally, this opens up opportunities for pediatric patients who may need lower doses than what is available in traditional over-the-counter medications.
Palatable Prescriptions
Pharmacy compounding allows for tailoring prescriptions to individual taste preferences. Medications with unpleasant tastes can be mixed with flavors, making them more accessible and pleasant for the patient. It can be handy for children who often find it difficult to take medicine.
Flavors range from strawberry and grape to bubblegum and cotton candy. It’s also possible for some medications, such as hormone replacement therapy, to be made into topical creams or gels that are easy and comfortable for patients to use.
Increased Bioavailability
Bioavailability refers to the amount of medication absorbed into the bloodstream which reaches its target site. Some medicines have poor bioavailability because they are poorly soluble or broken down by stomach acids before they can be taken or absorbed into the bloodstream. Compounding the medications into a different dosage form, such as a transdermal cream or an injectable, can increase their bioavailability to absorb more active ingredients into the bloodstream.
Make Medications Easier to Swallow
One of the most common uses for pharmacy compounding is customizing medications to make them easier for patients to swallow. Pharmacists can create compounded medicines in liquid form or as flavored suspensions, gummies, troches, lollipops, and topical creams or gels. This makes it much simpler for patients with difficulty swallowing pills or capsules to take their medicine.
Don’t Worry Over Unavailable Meds
Pharmacy compounding makes it easier to access medications no longer available due to drug shortages or discontinued production lines. A pharmacist can use compounding techniques to recreate the medication through alternative ingredients and dosage forms that meet your needs while adhering strictly to the original formula.
Avoid Allergens and Irritants
For people with allergies or sensitivities, pharmacy compounding can provide an invaluable service by creating customized medications that avoid allergenic components like dyes, preservatives, gluten, lactose, and other substances.
This allows people with allergies or sensitivities to safely take medications, which isn’t always possible with commercially manufactured drugs. It also enables doctors to tweak dosages so people get what they need.
Compliance
Compounding pharmacies can help patients comply with their medication regimen. When patients have to take multiple medications, each with its own unique dosage and schedule, it can be easy to lose track and miss a dose.
Patients can get all their medications in a single, easy-to-take dose with a compounding pharmacy. This makes remembering to take all medicines easier which makes it more likely that the patient will receive the full therapeutic benefit.
Combination Therapies
Pharmacy compounding is beneficial for those who require combination therapies. Combination therapies involve two or more medications combined into a single dose for treatment. It is particularly useful for conditions that require multiple drugs to be taken at once, such as HIV/AIDS or cancer treatments.
Combining these medications into one dose may make it convenient and easier for patients to stick to their medication regimen and ensure they get the full benefits of their treatment plan. Additionally, combining multiple drugs into one dose can help reduce costs by eliminating the need for various prescriptions.
Treating Unique Conditions
Pharmacy compounding can treat conditions and diseases that do not have commercially available solutions. For instance, medications for rare diseases may be unavailable in standard dosages or that must be combined with other drugs.
With pharmacy compounding, these tailor-made treatments can be created as needed by a licensed pharmacist. This means patients with unique conditions can get the medicines they need without searching far and wide for them.
Vet Medications
Pharmacy compounding gives pet owners more options for treating their furry family members. Pets often require specific dosages or formulations, which are difficult to find in over-the-counter medications. With pharmacy compounding, vets can access customized medicines for animals, which means pets can get the exact medication they need without any unnecessary side effects or adverse reactions.
Further, vets can mix these compounded medicines in a variety of flavors that make them more palatable and appealing to pets. For example, cats love tuna-flavored drugs, while dogs may prefer beef-flavored medication! Veterinary compounding also allows vets to customize dosages based on an animal’s weight and body size, ensuring safe and effective treatment options for all pets.
Buy Vegetarian and Vegan Medications
Most mass-produced drugs contain ingredients that are unsuitable for those on vegetarian or vegan diets, such as gelatin capsules and animal-based excipients. Compounding makes it possible to create medications free from these components. This makes it much easier for vegans and vegetarians to take necessary medicines without compromising their dietary beliefs.
Conclusion
Pharmacy compounding has many advantages, from patient-specific solutions to increased bioavailability. Do not hesitate to contact us immediately if you would like to learn more about how pharmacy compounding could help you or a loved one. We are eager to assist you in beginning your journey to better health by providing any information you may need.
