The growing demand for customized solutions even exists in the pharmacy sector. You would have often heard about prescription drugs which are given under special conditions. Sometimes a normal pharmacy may not be the answer to your question. The solution and search for a particular drug in a particular potency or combination or form can only be met at a compounding pharmacy. If this is the first time you are collecting information about it, then there are important facts to know about it.
WHAT IS A COMPOUNDING PHARMACY?
This is a brilliant solution to the availability of drugs which are not commonly available in a particular form, from the normal commercial market. The role of this kind of pharmacy is to custom make a drug as per the need of the customer, or as per the particular prescription of a doctor. It is a place which makes and sells prescription medicines. These places offer to concoct formula tailored for the need of the patients, for example, some patients have the problem of swallowing the pills, these pharmacies provide the same composition in the liquid version. Well, this is just one of the kind of features which such pharmacies have to offer. This is needed because sometimes the form, potency, concentration, or ingredient of a drug has to be altered to suit a certain medical need. And this is not possible by any common man or any chemist selling drugs in a normal drug store. This needs a special license which only this kind of pharmacy has.
HOW THE CUSTOM MEDICINE GETS MADE BY THE PHARMACY?
A compounding pharmacy both makes drugs and sells it. This means they make the drug as per the order received from a patient or customer, and then they sell it too. Hence if you have a special order, then you can reach the pharmacy with it, and get the medicine tailor-made for you. But these places don’t offer drugs which are not approved by the FDA. The formula for the medicine would still be given by the pharmacy only, and you cannot apply your own formula. But you definitely will be telling those specifications about the drug, as you want it in pill, liquid or powder form, or in what concentration or dosage, etc. If you are allergic to some ingredients in a drug, and just want replacement of that thing, then you will have to specify the allergen. That’s what your role is, and then their chemist would take the charge to custom make the drug for your order.
WHEN DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO REACH SUCH A PHARMACY?
There are some special situations when it makes sense to reach a compounding pharmacy. Here are some examples:
- You may be in need of medicine which is available only in pill form in the market. But the patient cannot ingest pills and needs the same medicine in liquid form. In such cases, it can be tailor-made.
- You may need medicine at a very low potency. But it’s commercially available only in a certain range of potencies. In that case, you will have to order it in a low potency from the pharmacist here.
- There can be an ingredient in a certain medicine, which you are allergic too. You need the medicine but with a replacement of that ingredient. In that case, too you will have to contact the pharmacy and order that way.
Simply these and a combination of reasons may be behind ordering medicines from the pharmacy.
DOES A COMPOUNDING PHARMACIST NEED ANY KIND OF TRAINING?
This is a standard practice of medicine which every pharmacist is taught before they are given the license for the same
WHEN DO YOU NEED TO CONTACT COMPOUNDING PHARMACY?
These kinds of drugs are only advised when normal drugs are not able to fulfill their needs. In case you are doubtful of using compounding drugs, then you need to contact the doctor to know why you have been suggested with such drug.
DO YOU NEED A DOCTOR’S PRESCRIPTION TO ORDER MEDICINES?
Normally for OTC medicines, you would not need a prescription. However, if you are ordering one such medicine which is not sold strictly without prescription, then you may be asked for it.
ARE COMPOUNDING PHARMACIES AVAILABLE ONLINE?
Yes, compounding pharmacies are available online. You may order your medicines online now, without having to look for a local address of a pharmacy. And the medicines, tailor-made, would be shipped to you.
Thus, find a compounding pharmacy that can help you get your special medical concoction or custom drug made in no time, and get an amazing solution for out-of-the-box medicine formulas you need.