The average person cares about their well-being and is willing to do a great deal of research to ensure they’re making the right decisions for their physical, mental, and social health. During your research, you might see mention of compounding pharmacies and how they can provide a different type of service for people in need of medication and solutions for their ailments.
You might not know enough about compounding pharmacies now to consider visiting one, but you might be more inclined to do so after discovering the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
What Does a Compounding Pharmacy Do?
Compounding pharmacies are the same as traditional pharmacies in the respect that they provide medications for patients’ needs. For example, the compounding pharmacy Centennial residents use for their pain medication is capable of providing the same pain medication as a traditional pharmacy in the same location.
However, a compounding pharmacy takes a different approach to providing medications and solutions for their patients. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, they individualize the treatments based on their patients’ needs.
This means they can customize the active ingredients, explore different dosage methods and strengths, and even change how you consume the medication. If your doctor has prescribed you medication in capsule form, but you can’t swallow capsules or pills, a compounding pharmacy has the ability to change it to a liquid format and even alter its flavor.
What Are the Benefits of a Compounding Pharmacy?
When you’re presented with two choices for prescription dispensing: compounding or traditional, you might be unsure which option to choose. On the one hand, you’re familiar with how a traditional pharmacy works, but on the other, you might know that you could benefit from a more individualized approach to medication. Many people note the following benefits of choosing a compounding pharmacy over a more traditional business model:
Choose a Dosage Formulation
If you’re not comfortable taking medication in a particular form, such as a capsule or tablet, you might think your only options are to be uncomfortable or not take the prescribed medicine. Compounding pharmacies provide you with a third option: change the dosage formulation. The average compounding pharmacist can provide a wide range of dosage formulations, such as lozenges, gels, lotions, and topical or oral sprays.
Access the Medication You Need
There has been a significant number of drug shortages in recent years, with a number of essential and life-altering medications being in short supply. While compounding pharmacies can’t access medicines that aren’t available due to supply chain issues, they have the skills and tools to prepare different medication concentrations that might otherwise not be available. You can also talk to compounding pharmacists about any hard-to-find or discontinued drugs and see if they can find a solution for you.
Variety of Options
Compounding pharmacists can work with, alter, and create a wide range of prescription drugs to suit your unique needs, regardless of what they’re for. They regularly prepare prescription drugs for different purposes, such as:
- Women’s and men’s health
- Weight management
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Dermatology
- Veterinary care
Enjoy Safe Medication
Medications often contain inactive ingredients like stabilizing agents, fillers, and dyes, which can be required to form pills, capsules, and other drugs but aren’t included to provide any health benefit. Some people can be allergic or intolerant to particular inactive ingredients, making medications they need unsuitable for them to use. Rather than going without, they can rely on compounding pharmacists to create an alternative drug without those ingredients that might do them harm.
What to Look for In a Compounding Pharmacy?
Just as you might shop around before choosing a regular pharmacy, you can do the same before selecting a compound pharmacy to take care of your health needs. The more research you do, the more confident you can be in your decision.
Accreditation
Accreditation can be an important consideration before choosing a compounding pharmacy you can trust. Ensure they are accredited by a trusted body, such as the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). It also doesn’t hurt to research which drug providers they’re associated with to ensure they’re reputable and safe.
Reputation
If friends and family members have purchased their medications and treatments from compounding pharmacies in the past, ask for their recommendation. Most people would be more than happy to recommend a pharmacy if they’ve had a great experience.
Quality Ingredients
Don’t be afraid to research where your preferred compounding pharmacy sources its ingredients. You deserve to know what’s being added to your medication. The best compounding pharmacies typically include this information on their websites.
Training and Certifications
You are trusting a pharmacist to provide you with the right medication and treatment options to provide relief from a particular illness or ailment. To be confident in your decision to choose a specific pharmacy, consider asking about your pharmacist’s training and certifications.
Convenience
Life gets busy, and we like to do things that make our lives easier or more convenient. If you’re impressed with the quality of several compounding pharmacies in your area, you can make your decision based on which is the most convenient. For example, a phone app and easy prescription ordering can sometimes be deciding factors.
Why Do You Need Compound Medication?
When you pick up your prescription from your local pharmacy, you likely take it as directed and don’t think twice about it not being the most suitable option for you. However, you might need compound medication if you’re unhappy or uncomfortable with how your doctor has instructed you to take your medicine. Most people seek out compound medication when they want or need to:
- Customize the dosage
- Remove a non-essential inactive ingredient
- Combine medications
- Enjoy a more convenient form of delivery
- Make it taste better
While traditional pharmacies can still provide you with the medication you need, compound pharmacies typically go one step further by ensuring the medication you receive is suitable for your individual needs, rather than the needs of the masses.
If you’ve never heard of compounding pharmacies before, it’s only natural that you won’t actively seek them out. However, once you’re aware of how they may be able to help you and the many benefits people say they experience from using them, you might be more inclined to consider them yourself.