Compounded pharmacies and medications can offer a plethora of benefits to patients and their families and pets. Several unique characteristics set compounding pharmacies apart from other more general pharmacies, and they can offer more to men and women needing medications than other pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies can cater to unique needs, specific requests, and special circumstances and they offer a more personalized approach to the dispensation of medicines. All members of the family, including pets can benefit from the services at a compounding pharmacy.
Compounded medications are based on being individualized, and while some forms of a medication may work for one person; it may not work for another. Many people have different needs and preferences when it comes to medication delivery, and whereas one person may not like needles or injections, another person may not be able to swallow and may prefer injections. Compounded medicine and delivery is largely dependent on a person’s illness and their capability to ingest the necessary medications. Compounding pharmacies offer delivery methods such as troches, suppositories, gels, creams, pellets, injections, capsules, tablets, syrups, or powders in order to allow patients a wide variety of options when receiving their compounded prescriptions.
Children often have special needs and are uncomfortable taking medicines that are hard to swallow or that taste bad. For this reason, compounding pharmacies are able to convert medicines into a form that is appropriate for children, such as chewable tablets, syrups, or liquids, and they often flavor the medication to suit the child. A compounding pharmacist can offer several different flavors for medications, and while pharmacies all offer different flavors, some of the flavors may include banana, strawberry, watermelon, grape, bubble gum, pina colada, and grapefruit. Kids that are old enough can choose their own flavor, and parents can choose flavors for younger children. This can help parents get their kids to take their medicine more easily, and it can help kids to get well sooner.
Sometimes a patient may have a specific health condition that calls for a rare or hard to find medication. Often times, when this occurs, commercial pharmacies do not have the brand or exact medicine that is needed. Most commercial pharmacies offer more common and recent medications; however, for that one special case that requires a rare form of a medication, a commercial pharmacy cannot meet that patient’s needs. A compounding pharmacy can offer rare medications, and they often help patients to get difficult to find medicines that were prescribed by their providers.
Medications are constantly changing due to recent advances in medicine and the changing of drug manufacturers. Sometimes, good medications become discontinued because of changes within companies, a small demand for the medication, or because it is too expensive to mass produce. Despite the fact that medications are changing all the time, physicians may feel that a specific medication is good for a particular health condition even if it has been discontinued. Compounding pharmacies can often help patients find discontinued medications that were unable to still be put on the market, and for this reason, patients that go to compounding pharmacies can usually get the right medications to meet their needs.
Compounding pharmacies can help to serve all members of a family, including the nonhuman members. Typically, veterinarians may not have all of the medicine needed on hand to treat specific health conditions in animals, and commercial pharmacies may not carry medicine needed for animals and their varied health conditions. A compounding pharmacy can cater to the needs of animals and can work with a veterinarian to put together the right medication for an animal or family pet. Families can take care of their animals and feel confident that their local compounding pharmacy is operating in the animal’s best interest.
Typically, most pharmacies are only able to provide a basic dosage of a medication for each person, and they do not have the power to combine medications, change the form of a medication, or alter the dosage of a specific medicine. A compounding pharmacist can change characteristics of a medication to make sure it fits the patient’s needs, and patients can enjoy the benefits of a prescription that is tailored to meet their basic needs.
While all pharmacists receive an advanced amount of training, compounding pharmacists often have special certifications that allow them to have a more in depth understanding of how to dispense medications to children, adults, and animals. They also have knowledge about the art of combining, dosing, and changing the delivery methods of certain medications. Compounding pharmacists are always up to date on the latest changes and advances in medications, and they can extend their knowledge and apply it to patient care.
Several men and women have enjoyed the warm and friendly customer service found at a compounding pharmacy, and they have been able to receive individualized and unique care. Compounding pharmacists offer a full scale of benefits and can conveniently augment a patient’s care.