COMPOUNDING

Apex, NC Compounding Prescription Services

Suppose you have a medical condition that's not treatable by a mass-produced medication or are allergic to a dye or filler in a commercial tablet. In that case, Apex Pharmacy's compounding service services can help you.

What is a Compounding?

Pharmacy compounding is an established tradition that allows a physician to prescribe a particular medication prepared by a licensed pharmacist for your individual needs.

Years ago, compounded medications provided most prescription drug care for the population. Today, pharmaceutical drug companies mass produced the majority of drugs. They aim to treat a specific medical condition for a large segment of people.

Patients may not be able to take the medication if they are allergic to the dye or filler, the capsule is too large, or the dose is too high, which is common in pediatric cases. These are the situations where a compounding pharmacist can play a vital role in helping the physician find an appropriate treatment for their patient.

Your doctor, nurse practitioner, veterinarian, or other prescriber orders the compounded medication that licensed compounding pharmacists to create in a safe and carefully controlled environment. Pharmacists are the only health care professionals trained in chemical compatibilities, making them the only ones qualified to compose alternate dosages.

Each state requires instruction on the art of pharmaceutical compounding be included as part of the core curriculum in their pharmaceutical programs. In addition, it's essential for compounding pharmacists to seek additional, continual training in their trade to stay current on the latest information and techniques.

The basis of this profession has always been the patient-physician-pharmacist relationship, also known as the "triad" relationship.

Why Choose a Compound Medication?

A pharmaceutical company may discontinue manufacturing a medication due to lack of profit or other setbacks. A compounding pharmacist might order the ingredients for that discontinued medication in bulk and compound the product into a particular dosage for the patient.

Patients may need a particular medication or nutritional supplement that is available commercially but of which they have an allergy to a specific preservative, dye, or binder.

A compounding pharmacist can likely compound that particular product without the offensive ingredient.

Compounding pharmacists can create custom dosage forms or uniquely flavored products for special situations, such as pediatric or veterinary patients. Compounded items are in greater demand for these groups, as the mass-produced market lacks.

A compounding pharmacist may be able to combine several medications a patient is taking into one dosage form to increase compliance. The same situation may apply to a patient taking several nutritional supplements.

Some patients cannot take certain medications due to side effects such as upset stomach or systemic side effects like drowsiness. A compounding pharmacist can prepare the medicines in a Transdermal cream that can be applied directly to the site of the pain to avoid unwanted side effects.

Examples include compounding anti-inflammatory medications such as ketoprofen or ibuprofen into topical dosage forms or compounding neuropathic pain agents such as gabapentin, amitriptyline, lidocaine, or a combination of all three into a topical cream.

Find out if a compound medication is right for you. Visit Apex Pharmaceutical today or call (919) 626-7332.