What is COMPOUNDING?
PHARMACY COMPOUNDING: CUSTOMIZING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Two thousand years ago three wise men traveled to Bethlehem to worship the Christ child, bringing with them the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The aromatic resin myrrh, historically treasured for its medical and cosmetic usefulness, is still used in medicine today, mostly to treat inflammation of the mouth and pharynx.
Myrrh is not a readily available pill in these modern days. But the medical use of Myrrh and other compounds is legally acceptable under pharmacy compounding laws that allow a pharmacist and a doctor to tailor-make medications for specific patients.
Our pharmacists are compounding when they prepare a specialized drug product for an individual patient's prescription when commercially manufactured drugs do not fill the bill.
Compounding may be as simple as crushing a pill into a power and adding syrup to create a liquid medication. On the other hand, some types of compounding involve sophisticated scientific calculations and operations. Preparing sterile drug products, for example eye drops or IV medications require complex steps to ensure a germ-free work environment.
Both children and adults sometimes cannot use the standard version of a drug because of an allergy to one of its ingredients. Our pharmacists might make a similar drug minus the dye, sugar or alcohol.
In other cases, the right dosage strength is not readily available for every patient. A child or a pet for example, would usually need a smaller dosage than and adult. Commercial products are often not available in kid-sized portions, and sometimes it's not practical to break up the adult drug product.
Or the pill might be the right strength, but have you ever given a cat a pill? KidsMeds pharmacists frequently make topical drugs for pets and chewable treats that Fido loves!
Commercially available drug products often need to be transformed into a different form for children and the elderly. For people in these age groups who can't or won't swallow tablets or capsules, KidsMeds pharmacists can make a drug in a powder, liquid, lozenge, gummi, suppository or other form for them.
Kids may refuse to swallow a medicine, even in a liquid form, if it tastes bad. KidsMeds Pharmacists can customize a liquid medication in a child's favorite flavor-cherry, orange, grape, bubblegum, etc... to increase its appeal.
So if you know someone who is not a very good medicine taker, call KidsMeds Pharmacy let us help you medicate safely and effectively! 205-824-0775