What You Need To Know About Compounding Pharmacies

Finding a Solution to Complex Medical Problems

Around the world, people are seeking medical treatments for a variety of different injuries and illnesses daily. With a whole host of different answers to your medical problems, it can be overwhelming to figure out what is right for you. You may be directed to visit a physiotherapist, a specialist, physiatrist, or another medical professional – but often time’s doctors will turn to medication as a solution to your medical problems. Science and technology related to drugs have changed and advanced over the decades. This has resulted in the mass manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and the streamlining of commercial drugs.

Accessing Mass-produced Commercial Drugs

Having drugs mass-produced like this means that there is no wiggle room for any adaptation or alterations to the drugs to change the dosage or any of the active and inactive ingredients list. Any given patient could be doing everything correctly, taking the correct dosage as set out by their prescribing health professional, doing so at the correct times during the day, but the patient is having a negative reaction to the drug. 

The patient could be experiencing severe side effects, sickness, allergic reactions or simply the drug is not working at all. The inability to change drug contents is challenging for patients who may need a certain drug to become better but may have an allergy to some of the ingredients or a sensitivity to the dosage a commercially mass-produced drug has in its contents.

Compounding Pharmacies: A Suitable Alternative to Suit our Individual Needs

Those who find themselves in this predicament have quickly learned the solution to this problem is to visit a compounding pharmacy. Compounding is the process in which pharmaceuticals can be prepared, mixed, assembled, or altered based on the individual needs of a patient, human, or animal. It is quite normal for patients to need their medication in a different dosage form than a prescribed commercial drug. For example, a patient may have a hard time swallowing pills. Compounding pharmacists can take that medication and turn it into an alternative form so that the patient can take it. The compounding process is commonly utilized by young children. Pharmacists can change the flavor of medications so it is more desirable to them. 

There are a wide variety of different products that leading compounding pharmacies can service for you, and to give you a better idea of what they have to offer, you might want to check out the experts of National Custom Compounding at https://customcompounding.com.au/, who have a lengthy list of services. The very idea of compounding is to create medicine that’s just right for you, so ask for nothing less.

Everything you Should Know and Understand About Compounding Pharmacies

If you are one of the many people who have a history of complications with mass-produced commercial drugs, you must do your homework and understand what you can expect from the process.

Do I need a prescription to purchase a compounded medication?

Yes. Accessing compounded drugs shares the same process in which we use to obtain commercial drugs. If the active ingredient in a required medication can only be prescribed by a doctor, then you must acquire a prescription.

Can a patient dictate whether to have a drug compounded?

No, it is not up for patients to decide whether or not a compounded drug is right for them. For example, in Australia, you cannot compound a drug that is already available for purchase commercially. 

How do I access a compounding pharmacy?

Your Doctor should be the first person you talk to about the possibility of having a drug compounded.

What is the difference between a pharmacy and a compounding pharmacy?

Patients needing a compounded medication will have their general practitioner begin the process of having a drug compounded at a compounding pharmacy. A normal pharmacy administers commercially available drugs.

How long does it take to compound my medication?

The wait time varies depending on how complex the order is. Some companies have different policies for how long they will need to have a drug compounded. For example, National Custom Compounding has a 24- hour turnaround policy.

A drug I rely on is discontinued, can a compounding pharmacy help me?

Compounding pharmacies play a vital part in providing patients a drug they need that may be discontinued commercially. They have the skillset of re-creating a drug that some patients have grown to require to lead a healthy and ambitious lifestyle. If you can no longer get a drug that you require, discuss with your doctor to see if utilizing a compounding pharmacy can solve this problem.

I prefer to use liquid medicine; can a compounding pharmacy change the method of a drug that is typically taken in a pill form?

Yes. Some people prefer to take alternative forms of medications. Leading compounding pharmacies can take a drug and turn it into a more suitable form.