Our Compounding Pharmacy
What is compounding and why is it necessary?
Compounding is the creation of a pharmaceutical preparation - a drug - by a licensed pharmacist to meet the unique needs of an individual patient (either human or animal) when a commercially available drug does not meet those needs.
e.g. - A patient may not be able to tolerate the commercially available drug, the exact preparation needed may not be commercially available, or a patient may require a drug that is currently in shortage or discontinued.
Following are a few examples of how a compounding pharmacist can customize medications based upon a doctor’s prescription to meet a patient’s needs:
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Customize strength or dosage.
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Flavor a medication (to make it more palatable for a child or a pet).
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Reformulate the drug to exclude an unwanted, nonessential ingredient, such as lactose, gluten, or a dye to which a patient is allergic.
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Change the form of the medication for patients who, for example, have difficulty swallowing or experience stomach upset when taking oral medication.
How is pharmaceutical compounding different from drug manufacturing?
Traditional compounding is the preparation of a medication to meet the prescriber’s exact specifications and to be dispensed directly to the patient, pursuant to a valid prescription for that patient. The pharmaceutical ingredient utilized in the formulation HAS been put through FDA approval processes – this is why compounders have access to the pharmaceutical ingredient. Manufacturing is the mass production of drug products that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are sold to pharmacies, health care practitioners, or others who are authorized under state and federal law to resell them.