Who do Compounded Medications Help?
Working closely with your physician, pharmacy compounding can provide you with much-needed solutions for challenging medication issues. Compounded prescriptions are ideal for any patient requiring unique dosages and/or delivery devices.
Physicians prescribe compounded medications for a variety of healthcare areas, including:
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Gastroenterology
- Geriatrics
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Hospice/Palliative Care
- Infertility
- Medication Flavoring
- Men’s and Women’s Wellness
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Pain Management
- Pediatrics
- Podiatry
- Sports Medicine
- Wound Management
- Veterinary
Physicians consult with compounding pharmacists for patients when experiencing:
- Upset stomach when taking oral medication
- Refusal to take the medication because of its taste
- Issues with the route of administration, such as difficulty swallowing pills
- Necessity for a different dose of medication than what is commercially available
- Challenges in keeping up with multiple medications
- Patients who don’t want to take medication at all, especially children or pets
A compounding pharmacist may be able to provide solutions for challenges such as these. Working closely with the patient and the prescriber, compounding gives the pharmacist the means to customize medication to meet the individual needs of each patient.
Compounding allows a medication to be personalized for an individual patient. The ability to create these personalized medications allows compounding pharmacists to help patients with a wide variety of needs.
Compounding Pharmacists Make Medication That Is Difficult to Find or Discontinued
Sometimes a large pharmaceutical manufacturer will discontinue a medication. This occurs more frequently than you think. Where does that leave the patient who still needs that drug? Hundreds or even thousands of patients may be left in the lurch. Even if it’s only one person who still needs the medication, a compounding pharmacy can custom make the prescription for that one patient with the physician’s prescription.
Also, physicians and patients may be looking for medications that are allergy-friendly, without:
- Lactose
- Preservatives
- Dyes
- Gluten
- Sugar
Compounding Pharmacists Make Medication Easier to Use
Some medications have a very unpleasant flavor, which makes the patient less likely to take it as directed. A compounding pharmacist can flavor many medications to make it more palatable without compromising the medication’s effectiveness. This is especially handy when dealing with medications for patients who may refuse medication, such as young children, elderly patients, or even pets!
A patient may need their medication in a different dosage form. For instance, patients who have difficulty swallowing a pill may find it easier to take their medication in a pleasantly flavored liquid form. Some medications can be compounded in a topical form such as a cream or a gel that allows the medicine to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin.