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Did you know that at one time pharmacies were able to personalize medications for patients? This process is known as compounding and it used to be the norm in pharmacies. With the advent of mass manufacturing, compounding had fallen out of practice. The pharmacist’s role quickly changed to one of a dispenser of manufactured dosage forms. Most pharmacists were no longer trained to compound medications, until recently when it is experiencing a resurgence. Pharmacies which offer compounding are less common. Brant Arts is one such pharmacy which can offer you these specialized services.
What is compounding?
Compounding is the art and science of preparing personalized medications for patients. Compounded medications are made based on a practitioner’s prescription in which individual ingredients are mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient. The advantage is that this allows the pharmacist to work with the patient and the prescriber (doctor or other medical professional) to customize a medication to meet the patient’s specific needs.
Some of these special needs include:
- Adjusting the strength required by the patient to better suit their needs such as medications prescribed to infants. Most mass produced medications have only one or two readily available dosage options. Therefore, compounding provides additional options to patients who require a specialized dosage.
- Personalizing the dosage forms such as a solid, topical or a liquid. Adjusting a medication to liquid form is especially beneficial for those patients who cannot swallow a pill. Topical forms can avoid side effects experienced with swallowed forms.
- Adjusting the flavours of the medication to meet the patient’s requirements. Children benefit from this service the most.
- Excluding ingredients in the medications that would cause an allergic reaction or other sensitivity in the patient.
- Patients who need medications that have been discontinued by manufacturers.
- Types of hormone replacement therapies
Patients with unique or unusual medication needs can find these needs met by using the services of a compounding pharmacy.
Compounding is also commonly used with veterinary medications. Compounding allows for medications to be administered in a variety of concentrations and flavours thereby personalizing the medication to suit the animals preference. This is very helpful for the most finicky of patients. The medication can also be compounded to be applied topically in some cases. This is especially helpful with cats.
Compounding is beneficial for many reasons. It targets the specific issue and avoids ingredients that are not completely necessary to the treatment. Therefore, the dosage is determined by what is required by the patient. A patient’s specific personal preferences and needs are taken into account. The resulting medication is much more effective for the patient and results in better overall treatment of the patient.
Brant Arts provides these specialized compounding services to our patients. Call or come in and talk to us to learn more about this unique service. We can provide you and your practitioner with more information.
