Compounding medicine is a healthcare practice that allows healthcare professionals to prescribe, mix up, and adjust medications according to their patient’s requirements. This practice of compounding drugs started in the 19th century but has gained popularity over the last decade. These specialized pharmacies claim to serve every patient’s needs by offering custom dosing, combining drugs for convenience, and help find alternatives to medications that are not available. Unfortunately, these combinations are not tested by the FDA for their efficacy. However, these pharmacies use already approved FDA medications or order the same ingredient in bulk. Stick around as we share with you the essential factors that make compounding medications different.
Ingredient Toxicity
There are a lot of medications for various illnesses that contain more than one active ingredient. These excessive chemicals can affect vital organs, derail their functions, and might even increase toxicity, which disrupts a lot of internal chemical functions. A compounding pharmacy gives you the option to only go for the active ingredients necessary for your medical condition and eliminate the unwanted ones. For example, you have been prescribed analgesics by the doctor for your muscle pain management. A compounding drug can be made by mixing the active drug with a topical cream that you can directly apply to the pain site. This method of medication could be very beneficial for individuals that are managing multiple medical conditions.
Controlling Allergies
People with allergies have to make sure that anything they consume does not contain any form of allergen that could trigger an allergic reaction. There are a lot of drugs that contain inactive ingredients which could potentially become the cause of an allergic reaction. Using the technique of compound medicine, an allergen-free drug can be tailor-made for individuals, which can be used without worrying about allergies.
Customizing Doses
Conventional pharmacies can only provide commercially available drugs that have fixed doses. If you are prescribed a lower or higher dosage according to your medical condition, a customized dose can be made using compound medication methods. You can use customized doses for patients with chronic medical conditions, for children or the elderly, in hormonal therapies, and with certain dermatological conditions. To find a suitable pharmacy, search over the internet and find pharmacies offering compounding medication services. You can also click here to find out more about reliable compound pharmacies that claim to provide you online services for your medical needs. Still, it is best to search the internet, read reviews, get recommendations, and take your time before you select a compounding pharmacy. Most compounding pharmacies cater to people with unique medical conditions or who require medicine in irregular doses. Most children are unable to swallow pills but can take liquid syrups with ease. These medications can be converted into liquids according to the required dose of the child and increase compliance alongside positive outcomes.
Drug Combinations
Some people take a lot of medications for their medical conditions. These drugs can become a nuisance for the elderly and are difficult to remember. Setting up reminders to take medications and using pillboxes are methods you can use as regulators, but compounding still lets you combine different drugs into a single formula. For example, it might be difficult for some of us to follow a topical antibiotic regimen containing several antibiotic creams. Mixing them all up will not only save time but also make the process simpler.
Controlling Effects
There are many examples of drugs that when given in combination have a better effect. This synergistic effect can be seen when painkillers like acetaminophen and codeine are prescribed together to tackle severe pain. The list of possible drug combinations is a long one, influenced by a plethora of factors that focus on the patient’s illness.
Adding Flavor
We all admit that most medications have a really bad taste that can leave an aftertaste for a few minutes even after ingestion. Children find it hard to consume these medications; compounding techniques allow adding flavors like grapes, banana, mint, or bubblegum which motivates young ones to take their medicine when needed.
Finding Alternates
You might encounter some instances where finding a specific drug becomes difficult. This mostly happens when the pharmaceutical industry stops the production of that specific drug. Finding an alternative drug is possible in a compounding pharmacy. Moreover, off-label drugs can also be custom ordered according to your medical condition and the prescribed drug regimen.
Whether you are managing multiple health conditions or want to control any side effects of commercial medications, a compounding pharmacy might be the right place to cater to your medical issues. These are some of the most important pieces of information about compounding pharmacies; We hope the information provided could help out in making a decision.
