the compounding difference

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Many of you may be asking, “Why and when would I choose to use a compounding pharmacy over a
traditional retail pharmacy?”  There are various reasons why compounding pharmacies may be beneficial to patients.  Here are a list of sample scenarios that may prompt a physician to write for a compound prescription:

Issue: The patient is allergic to a filler in a manufactured capsule (i.e. may contain lactose).
Solution: A compounding pharmacy may create the desired medication with the same active ingredient, leaving out the offending ingredient that the patient is allergic to.

Issue: A manufacturer discontinues producing a medication.  Manufacturers may often decide to stop making a drug if not enough patients are buying it, so it is unprofitable to continue mass-producing it.
Solution:  A compounding pharmacy may duplicate the medication with the same active ingredients and strengths if that medication is no longer on the market.

Issue: The patient prefers a different route of administration.  For example, a child who can not swallow capsules, may desire a solution or suspension form.
Solution:  The medication could be created in an alternative dosage form.  Lollipops, gummy or hard troches could even be made to ease the dread of medication administration.

Issue:  The medication on the market is not effectively treating the patient’s symptoms.
Solution:  The prescriber may want to try a stronger dose of the same medication that could be compounded by the pharmacy if the dose is not available by the manufacturer.  In the same fashion, the compounding pharmacy could create a lower strength if the available strength is not appropriate for the patient.

The possibilities are endless when the triad between physician, pharmacist, and patient forms.  An increase of options are available to confront the patient’s medical needs when the pharmacy is not limited to dispensing solely what is produced by pharmaceutical companies.