A compounding pharmacy can make customized medications tailored to your specific needs. Licensed pharmacists are able to adjust the strength, dosage, or form of a drug so you can get the most benefits from it for your health needs. Not all pharmacies can create customized drug compounds, so you’ll need a compounding pharmacy to utilize this specialized service. Keep reading to learn more about what a compounding pharmacy is and how it can be beneficial for your health.
What Is Compounding?
Drug compounding is an art and a science. It is a pharmaceutical practice in which customized medications are prepared to meet the unique requirements of individual patients. A licensed pharmacist at a compounding pharmacy can adjust, mix, and blend active ingredients with fillers, binders, and flavoring to make medication in the form and strength that you require. This practice allows you to receive the medications you need without dyes, sugars, preservatives, alcohols, gluten, gelatin, or other inactive ingredients to which you may negatively react.
What Forms of Medications Can Be Compounded?
A compounding pharmacy can create compounded medications in many different forms. These forms are separated into two categories: sterile and non-sterile compounds. Sterile compounds include medications that are injected into the blood or tissues or directly applied into the eyes, such as infusions, injections, and eye drops. Because these forms have a higher risk for contamination, they must be prepared in a sterile environment at a certified compounding pharmacy. Non-sterile compounds have a lower risk of contamination and can be prepared in a non-sterile environment. These compounds can have various forms, such as oral capsules, flavored liquids, troches, gummies, creams, patches, suppositories, oral rinses, lollipops, and more.
When Is a Compounding Pharmacy Necessary?
There are many scenarios in which a healthcare professional may prescribe a patient with compounded medications. There isn’t always a commercial drug available that can meet your health needs, or sometimes the available drug is in the wrong strength or form than what you require. In these cases, a compounded drug can be created to meet your needs with the ingredients, strength, and form you require. Some common reasons you may need a compounding pharmacy to customize your medication include:
- Difficulty swallowing pills and require alternative drug forms and flavors
- Sensitive or allergic to certain inactive ingredients that are found in commercial medications
- Need a medication that is out of stock or discontinued
- Require customized dosage forms not commercially available
- Need combination therapies to combine multiple medications into a single dose
- Specialized medication needs to meet specific conditions, such as personalized hormone replacement therapy formulations
- Have a pet who requires medication specific to their size or in an easier to administer form such as a flavored chewable treat
Get Customized Medications from Your Local Compounding Pharmacy
Here at Marcum’s Pharmacy, our trained and certified compounding pharmacists are here to help meet all your special prescription needs for you, your family, and your pets! Reach out to us today to learn more about how you can benefit from our compounding services at our pharmacy in Kingsport, TN.
