The Benefits of Compounding

In the the years before the 1940's almost all prescriptions have been compounded. With the advent of mass drug production, compounded medications have taken a back seat. However they have begun to experience a resurgence in recent times becaue of the many benefits that compounding brings. More physicians are prescribing compounded medications for individuals with unique health needs. Compounded medications also offer an attractive alternative to discontinued or hard-to-find medications and traditional forms of treatment. Here are the many benefits of compounding:

Hormone Replacement
Compounded customized hormones are a viable alternative for those patients who choose not to take conventional hormone replacement. Check our section on hormone replacement for more information.

Pain Management
For those who experience pain, taking medications can sometimes be a problem. Drowsiness, dizziness and stomach discomfort are just a few of the side effects associated with commercially available prescriptions. Compounded pain medications can be a solution to these problems. A compounding pharmacist can combine the ingredients of traditional oral pain medications and dispense them in alternative delivery forms such as topical gels, creams or sprays.

Dental Compounding
Many dentists find themselves with patients who are resistant to traditional forms of treatment. Unique preparations and alternative delivery systems can solve these problems. Lip balm for viral lesions, mouth rinses for ulcers and "mucosal bandages" to cover ulcerations /infections are just a few of the solutions. Lollipops for the treatment of thrush or for oral sedation are also commonly prescribed. Do you have a unique dental problem? Our compounding pharmacists can help.

Dermatology Compounding
Our compounding pharmacist can work with a doctor to meet a patient's unique dermatological needs. With your physician's prescription our pharmacy can compound preparations to treat special problems like, psoriasis, eczema, warts, skin pigmentation, acne, fever blisters, nail fungus and alopecia. We compound a number of anti-aging formulations. Treatments for radiation burns are also available.

Pediatrics
Children are especially suited for custom compounded prescriptions as commercially manufactured drug forms are often not easy for children to take. Dozens of flavors are available to compounding pharmacists who can enhance the taste and color of medication. A compounding pharmacist can also make medicine in a more easily taken or administered dosage form for children who have a difficult time swallowing capsules or tablets.

Children vary in weight or size, compounding pharmacists can formulate the medication to the exact dose needed for the individual child.

Allergy or Ingredient Sensitivity
Many patients are allergic to preservatives or dyes in commercially available drugs, or are lactose intolerant. A pharmacist can compound prescriptions that are preservative, dye, and lactose free.

Flavor or Form
Many patients may have difficulty taking medicine in the prescribed form. Working with your physician, we can change the strength of a medication, alter its form to make it easier to administer, or add a flavor to make it more palatable. Children and the elderly in particular may have difficulty with flavors of commercial medication. Compounding pharmacists can work directly with the physician and the patient or the patient’s family to select a more palatable flavor and mask any unpleasant aftertaste.

Discontinued Medication
Having trouble finding that medicine that works for you? Pharmaceutical companies may stop making products for which there is limited demand. And limited demand is likely to occur when a newer and, sometimes, more effective medicine comes into the market. However some patients may respond better to the now commercially unavailable medicine. If we can obtain the medicine in its chemical form, we can compound the prescription.

Hospice
There are many ways a compounding pharmacy can work with doctors, nurses and caregivers to assist the hospice patient. Hospice patients may need several medications that could be combined into one capsule. If the patient is unable to swallow, we can make transdermal medications to be applied topically or troches to be dissolved in the mouth.

Veterinary Compounding
Eliminate the Medicine Taste
Trying to make a dog or cat swallow a tablet is not always the easiest thing to do. We can prepare medicines into easy-to-give flavored dosage forms that animals devour. Cats like tuna, dogs like beef. Various flavors are available for other animals.

Solving Dosage Problems
Commercial medicine may come in 100mg or 200mg tablets or capsules. A small kitten may need a dose of 15mg. We can make tuna flavored suspension containing 15mg per 1ml. It is dispensed with a medicine dropper so that the accurate dose is easily measured.

Medicine Availability
Animal medicine manufacturers often stop producing medicines and dosage forms for which there is little demand. There is still an occasional need for these products. With a physician's prescription, we can obtain the medicine and compound a prescription for the commercially unavailable product.