Compounding

• What Is Compounding?
• Dosage Formulations
• Veterinary Compounds
• Working With You and Your Physician

What is Compounding?

A compounding pharmacy is a special kind of pharmacy that specializes in the preparation of medications by mixing raw ingredients. In the early 20th century leading up to the 1940s, most of the medications were literally made by pharmacists preparing the medications that were patient specific. Today, the number of compounded prescriptions represents less than 1% of all prescription drugs.

The art of compounding has evolved significantly, and especially within the last 10 years. Now, new technology is available that allows a pharmacist to prepare custom medications with complete confidence in quality control. Certification standards were recently introduced by several non-profit organizations; more companies are offering quality control testing of compounded products; more classes are available to introduce new compounding techniques; and most importantly, several leading organizations are garnering evidence-based and health outcome data to demonstrate safety and efficacy of various drug profiles.

That said, the accepted role of compounding pharmacy by most healthcare organizations, and the FDA, is that compounding is to serve as a viable option only when there are no other FDA approved therapeutic alternatives available. We wholeheartedly agree and adheres to this thought process. Specifically, the use of a compounded drug should be limited to:

Those drugs for which both safety and efficacy have been demonstrated in the compounded form in the target species;
Disease conditions for which response to therapy or drug concentration can be monitored; or
Those individual patients for which no other method or route of drug delivery is practical. Use of a compounded drug should be accompanied by the same precautions followed when using a drug in its original form, including counseling of the client regarding potential adverse reactions and attention to the potential for unintended human or animal exposure to the drug.

Pharmasave Port Coquitlam takes the necessary steps to ensure the success of patient care by utilizing all the quality control standards published, a thorough and consistent documentation of health outcomes, and communicating this vital information to our physician partners. As we venture through the data and literature available, we will be making our contribution to the healthcare arena by demonstrating the best practices of compounded medications.

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Dosage Forms

Compounded medications can take on different dosage forms:

• Sustained-Released Capsules
• Creams and Gels
• Lip Balms
• Suppositories
• Nasal Sprays
• Topical and Oral Sprays
• Troches
• Medicated Lozenges or Lollipops

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Veterinary Compounds

We work together with veterinarians and their clients and patients to solve medication problems by compounding specialized medications that meet the unique needs of each animal – pets, exotics, horses, or zoo animals. Let us know how we can help you and the animals in your care.Compounded medications can take many forms for veterinary use:

• Liquid
• Rapid Dissolve
• Paste
• Transdermal Gels
• Eye Drops
• Puffer

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Working with you and your Physician

We work with your physician to improve upon your compliance and outcomes by taking the time to understand your needs.

Each patient is an individual so why should one drug fit all. Each individual’s reaction to a particular medicinal substance is different. No longer are you limited to “standard” medicine. With the diagnosing expertise of the physician, coupled with the compounding expertise of the pharmacist, we can prepare compounds that meet your specific needs.

During your counseling session, our pharmacists will answer any questions or concerns you may have as to why the physician prescribed this custom compounded medication specifically for you. Together, as a healthcare team, we can help improve your health and well-being.

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