Compounding is the science and art of tailoring medication to suit the individual health needs of a patient. This isn’t a new concept as the custom-creating medication is an age-old practice that has been around for decades. Compounded medications aren’t the same as standard drugs available at retail pharmacies. Unlike mass-produced medication, compounding involves preparing medication in specific dosage, strength, flavor, and form to fit individual needs. A compounding pharmacy can help you get personalized medications that are not available elsewhere. However, only licensed and well-established pharmacies are equipped to create customized formulas. The safety and efficacy of compounded drugs largely depend on the expertise of the pharmacist and the use of advanced equipment.
How Compounding Medication Can Benefit Patients?
You might have heard people saying that they are allergic to certain ingredients like lactose or gluten. While it’s possible for them to get a gluten-free diet but what if that ingredient is present in the medication they need? The commercial medication available at retail pharmacies are created for the masses using standard formulas. However, people with different health needs may react differently to these medications. Some may have allergic reactions while others may need a small or higher dosage. This is where compounding helps in customizing medication. Buying pre-made medication from a retail pharmacy can be a quick and easy solution. But compounding also provides a range of benefits such as:
- Easy to Take Medication
The reason many people avoid taking regular medication is its unpleasant taste. Compounding makes medication easy to consume by improving its taste. If children, elderly patients, or pets are refusing to take bitter-tasting medicine, a licensed pharmacist can add flavors to make it palatable. Moreover, some medication forms like large capsules can be difficult to swallow for some patients. Compounding pharmacists can also change the medication form to make it easy to use. The same formula can be created in the form of liquid, ointment, tablet, cream, or gel. Changing medication form also helps in making consumption easier. Children or elderly patients usually prefer to take their medications in a liquid suspension or chewable tablet form. Compounding is the best way to get an alternate dosage form.
- Allergy-Free Medication
Compounding means customizing medication. People usually consider customization when a commercially available medication causes side effects. Pharmacy compounding immensely helps patients sensitive to certain ingredients found in commercial drugs. Customization can make your medications allergy friendly by removing allergy-causing ingredients such as dyes, flavorings, lactose, gluten, alcohol, and more. It also helps in eliminating other ingredients that may have reactions like a certain preservative. So, if you have any allergies or special medical needs, you can discuss your requirements with the physician who will prescribe compounding medication.
- Access to Discontinued Medication
Sometimes, pharmaceutical companies discontinue medications that are not in high demand. Whether the medication you need has been discontinued or it’s hard to get access to the medication, a compounding pharmacist can create the same formulation. A licensed pharmacist under the guidance of the physician can create the same formula to ensure that you get the right treatment.