Most people don’t know the difference between a regular and compounding pharmacy. A compounding pharmacy is a speciality pharmacy that can make a medication prescribed by a doctor, for patients that cannot use a commercially manufactured medication. Often, a compounding pharmacy is used for people with allergic tendencies or for those that are very young and need a small dosage of a certain medication.
There are many situations where compounding medicine can be helpful. Compounded medications can be great for people who cannot swallow pills, such as the elderly or young children, and need an alternative form such as a cream or liquid. Many people are allergic or sensitive to particular ingredients in mass-produced medications, and these can be removed in a compounded medication.
The Benefits of using a Compounding Pharmacies
Made Allergy-friendly
As we explained briefly above, some people are allergic to key ingredients in mainstream medicines. This renders them completely useless and dangerous. However, it can be tricky to find alternatives that agree with your body. Whether its allergies, sensitivity, intolerance of dyes, problems with lactose, gluten, or alcohol within medicines, compounding pharmacists can help. Compounding pharmacists can create a medication from scratch, tailoring it to your own allergies and intolerances, like a chef cooking you a meal. This ensures that you still get a good quality treatment, but without the risk and nasty side effects.
Your medicine does not exist or can’t be ordered – “Discontinued Medication”
Occasionally, a manufacturer will discontinue certain drugs, which can make it extremely difficult for patients who have depended on them to find prescriptions. However, rather than having to scour the shelves for something similar, there is another option. Compounding pharmacists have the ability to provide access to these discontinued medications by making up their own versions using the correct pharmaceutical ingredients. As these compounding pharmacists have access to high quality raw ingredients, they can, in theory, create any compounding solution that the patient requires. Using a mixture of research, quality control, ingredients, knowledge, and compounding techniques, the pharmacist can cater to the customer’s individual needs, even though their original drug has been discontinued by the mainstream providers.
The Flavour
Let’s be honest, we have all taken some pretty rank medication in our time. Often the taste and texture of a concoction can put us off it for life, which makes administering the meds a lot more difficult. If the smell and taste of the medicine makes you feel ill, it can seem counterproductive to take it regularly. However, there is a very simple way around this. Compounding pharmacists have the ability to recreate the same exact medicines, but with one added twist, a new flavour. By making the medicine from scratch, the pharmacist can easily add in a flavouring of the taker’s choice in order to make taking the compounding far easier. This is particularly useful when dealing with people who refuse to take medication that does not taste good. For example, young children, elderly people, and pets have all been known to outright refuse to swallow medicine that repulses them. By simply adding their favourite flavour, a chore becomes a treat.
Alternative Dosage Form
When picking up medication at a standard pharmacist, you have to take what you are given in terms of the dosage form. Whether it’s a pill or a liquid, whatever comes in the packet/bottle is your one and only choice. Unfortunately, some people have trouble swallowing large pills and prefer to have a smaller option, or a liquid alternative. Luckily for you, compounding pharmacists have the ability to take an existing form of medication and change the dosage form. For example, they can take a large and hard-to-swallow pill, turning it into a manageable and tasty liquid form. Some forms of medication can even be turned into a form of cream or gel to be rubbed into the skin and absorbed that way. This allows you, as the patient, to tell the compounding pharmacist exactly what you like and dislike, before they cater to these needs.
