What Are Compounded Medications?
Compounding - the way that all drugs used to be prepared in the past - is a process of mixing a prescription in order to suit the individual needs of a patient. The act of combining two drugs together is also regarded as compounding.
The needs that cannot be met by the commercially available drugs may include preparing a medication without an ingredient that a patient is allergic to, or adjusting the dose or the strength of a drug made only in the adult-dosage for a small child. Many older patients who have difficulties swallowing may need a drug prepared in a liquid form, or in a form that can be, for instance, put under the tongue rather than swallowed. For patients suffering from serious side effects when taking certain medications, a compound pharmacist can prepare the drug in such a way that it can be taken transdermal instead of orally.
A medicine that a patient needs may not be commercially available at a moment, or it may not be even manufactured any more. Some patients absorb or excrete medications abnormally - compounded medications can help. Several medications can be compounded into one in order to increase compliance. Compounded medicines can be compounded for animals too: a medicine can be flavored so that your pet takes it willingly.
Only a licensed physician or pharmacist, or a pharmacist technician under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, is permitted to mix or alter ingredients of a drug to create such a medicine. Drugs are compounded in licensed pharmacies only, in a safe and controlled environment. Not all of them are able to compound sterile compounds. Compounding pharmacies are not supposed to make drugs before a doctor has written a prescription for them. Such prescriptions may be ordered by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, or a veterinarian.
Regular pharmacies do not fill prescriptions for compounded drugs, only a compounding pharmacy can fill a prescription for a compounded drug. Many acute-care hospitals have such a pharmacy to prepare compounded medications for patients. Compounded pharmacies are not allowed to resale their drugs to individual patients, make them commercially available in the marketplace, or copy FDA-approved products.
In the past, a pharmacist was the one who prepared medicines, but in modern times, his role has changed into that of a dispenser of manufactured drugs. It, however, soon became clear that there are disadvantages with having pharmacists without a training in compounding. Recently, the practice of compounding has experienced a resurgence.
The needs that cannot be met by the commercially available drugs may include preparing a medication without an ingredient that a patient is allergic to, or adjusting the dose or the strength of a drug made only in the adult-dosage for a small child. Many older patients who have difficulties swallowing may need a drug prepared in a liquid form, or in a form that can be, for instance, put under the tongue rather than swallowed. For patients suffering from serious side effects when taking certain medications, a compound pharmacist can prepare the drug in such a way that it can be taken transdermal instead of orally.
A medicine that a patient needs may not be commercially available at a moment, or it may not be even manufactured any more. Some patients absorb or excrete medications abnormally - compounded medications can help. Several medications can be compounded into one in order to increase compliance. Compounded medicines can be compounded for animals too: a medicine can be flavored so that your pet takes it willingly.
Only a licensed physician or pharmacist, or a pharmacist technician under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, is permitted to mix or alter ingredients of a drug to create such a medicine. Drugs are compounded in licensed pharmacies only, in a safe and controlled environment. Not all of them are able to compound sterile compounds. Compounding pharmacies are not supposed to make drugs before a doctor has written a prescription for them. Such prescriptions may be ordered by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, or a veterinarian.
Regular pharmacies do not fill prescriptions for compounded drugs, only a compounding pharmacy can fill a prescription for a compounded drug. Many acute-care hospitals have such a pharmacy to prepare compounded medications for patients. Compounded pharmacies are not allowed to resale their drugs to individual patients, make them commercially available in the marketplace, or copy FDA-approved products.
In the past, a pharmacist was the one who prepared medicines, but in modern times, his role has changed into that of a dispenser of manufactured drugs. It, however, soon became clear that there are disadvantages with having pharmacists without a training in compounding. Recently, the practice of compounding has experienced a resurgence.
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