Before drugs were produced in mass quantities, compounding was a standard means of providing prescription medications. Today, compounding pharmacies employ physicians and technologies not available in most chain pharmacies to better assist consumers.
Compounding is the process of customizing prescriptions and medications to fit a patient’s individual needs and preferences. This can be beneficial for various reasons – perhaps you are allergic to a filler used in a prescription; having your medication compounded will help avoid any reactions. If medication is given in a particular form not to your liking, maybe liquid form, you can have it made into a solid form instead. Compounding can also help with distributing exact doses for someone who needs some assistance keeping track. Wonderful for getting children to take necessary medications, a compounder can take that prescription and put it into a lollipop or something more fun for kids.
Medications or prescriptions can be made in a variety of ways: creams, trans dermal gels, suppositories and even lip balms. The strength, flavoring and form of a medication can also be altered through compounding. Inability to swallow a big pill, disgusted by the taste of a medication, and taking too little or too much medicine are problems of the past with the help of a compounding pharmacy.
References:
- http://www.tahoecompounders.com/
- https://www.ucprx.com/
- http://www.ftmguide.org/compounding.html
