Not all medications agree with all people. Medications come with side effects and eliminating these has been a struggle for scientists. Some patients do not require as high a dose that standard prescriptions contain, either. The practice of pharmaceutical compounding is one way to mitigate the negative impacts of side effects, allergic reactions, or unnecessary ingredients of some prescriptions.
Compounded medications used to be the way all prescriptions were made back in the early 1900s. Technically, compounding’s history goes way far back to the hunter-gather era, when earlier humans would use the medicinal properties of plants, fungus, minerals, and animals in their localized environment to make oils, poison, and antidotes for specific needs. Over time, early practitioners experimented with alchemy, and then came the first chemists and pharmacists. In the past several decades, the manufacturing of drugs moved to standardized formulas and setdosage amounts for brands to handle larger scale production.
Compounding pharmacies create personalized medications for patients in small batches and/or for individual patients. They are designed to suit the specific needs of an individual in terms of benefits, ingestion or application, and to reduce unnecessary or harmful components. Some needs include specialized formulas, extra small doses for infants, a disability that necessitates a liquid instead of a pill, gluten-free pills, patients who need a discontinued drug, or a medication that can more easily be delivered to pets.
Pharmacists take the specificdose of medicinal ingredients and produce the medication by way offorming a pill, liquid, injectable, or topical application, and by leaving out any non-essential component(s). This may be to reduce a noted side effect the individual has experienced, eliminate allergic reactions, or to reduce/raise the dose. Compounding can even include options like adding flavours to unpleasant pills. It is performed by hospital pharmacists and privately-owned companies to serve the needs of patients in the community.
An independent compounding pharmacy like Medspharmacy.ca which is a pioneer compounding specialist company with a world-class laboratory can prepare customized medications for patients. Their lab facilities are inspected routinely and use the latest equipment, techniques, and quality control measures to ensure a top-quality product with high grade ingredients. Many patients receive and take a standard medication and dosage that is available to members of the general public (who are first written a prescription by their doctor, psychiatrist, or other licensed medical practitioner). Unfortunately, generalized drugs are made to suit the average patient; therefore, side effects are a common problem, as every person’s physiology is different. Medications also frequently have adverse interactions with one another, so, if possible, the ability to remove or reduce a specific ingredient is anotherpractical benefit.
Compounding pharmacies may have areas of specialization like pain management, bio-identical hormones, pediatric medications, dermatological medications, podiatry medications, veterinary medications, palliative and wound care. It is important to find a licensed pharmacy that can perform your desired area of highly specialized service. Check with your insurance company to find out if your current plan covers compounded medications – many of them do. A quality independent pharmacy will be glad to speak to your insurance company about the details.