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Q: What is Compounding?
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| A: Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing customized medications.
In every field of medicine, there are some patients who don’t respond to traditional methods of treatment. Sometimes they need medicine at strengths that are not manufactured by drug companies, or perhaps they simply need a different method of ingesting a medication. Pharmacy compounding meets these needs. It provides a way for the physicians and compounding pharmacists to customize an individualized prescription for the specific needs of their patients.
At Professional Arts Pharmacy, we understand that our patients are unique individuals. Most commercially available medications cater to the masses, but at times patients require customized prescriptions to meet their needs. Consider us the problem solver, working with patients and physicians to gain positive outcomes.
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Q: Is Compounding New?
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A: The compounding of medications by pharmacists is a long-standing and traditional part of pharmacy. In fact, before the advent of multinational pharmaceutical companies, the majority of medications were prepared at local independent pharmacies. Compounding has experienced a resurgence, as modern technology, innovative techniques and research have allowed more compounding pharmacists to customize medications when the manufactured product is unable to meet specific needs of the patient.
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Q: What Are The Reasons A Medication Is Compounded?
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| A: Because every patient is different and has different needs, customized, compounded medications are a vital part of quality medical care.
The basis of the profession of pharmacy has always been the "triad," the patient-physician-pharmacist relationship. Through this relationship, patient needs are determined by a physician, who chooses a treatment regimen that may include a compounded medication. Physicians often prescribe compounded medications for reasons that include (but are not limited to) the following situations:
- When needed medications are discontinued by or generally unavailable from pharmaceutical companies, often because the medications are no longer profitable to manufacture;
- When the patient is allergic to certain preservatives, dyes or binders in available off-the shelf medications;
- When treatment requires tailored dosage strengths for patients with unique needs (for example, an infant);
- When a pharmacist can combine several medications the patient is taking to increase compliance;
- When the patient cannot ingest the medication in its commercially available form and a pharmacist can prepare the medication in cream, liquid or other form that the patient can easily take; and
- When medications require flavor additives to make them more palatable for some patients, most often children.
Also, compounding is extremely important to the veterinary community, which often requires more flavors, dosages and potency levels than commercially available medications supply.
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Q: Can Children Take Compounded Medication?
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| A: Often, parents have a tough time getting their children to take medicine because of the taste. A compounding pharmacist can work directly with the physician and the patient to select a flavor such as bubble gum, cherry, strawberry, grape, or tutti frutti, to make it more palatable.
For those who have difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules, we may be able to compound a pleasantly flavored liquid that is easy to swallow or even a transdermal topical gel that can be rubbed into the skin. For children who are intolerant to certain dyes or preservatives in medications, with a prescription from your doctor, we can make these medications for you preservative and dye-free.
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Q: Do You Need A Prescription?
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A: Yes. A written prescription from a licensed physician or veterinarian is required for compounded medications. Compounding pharmacists work together with both physicians and their patients in order to develop the most appropriate therapy for each person.
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Q: What Can A Patient Do If Their Medication Is No Longer Available?
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A: Pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers may discontinue products for which there is a limited demand. However, some patients may respond better to a discontinued medicine than to its newer counterpart. We can obtain the pure active ingredient(s) and prepare a medicine to meet your needs.
With a physician's prescription, we can compound many medications that have been discontinued commercially for those patients who continue to require them.
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Q: Can My Compounded Medication Be Shipped To Me?
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A: Yes. All medications are expertly packed, shipped and insured for safe arrival. Patients are charged only for the shipping costs actually incurred by us. When necessary, ice packs and a cooler are used to maintain product stability. No extra handling fees are added.
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Q: Is Compounding Legal?
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A: Yes, compounding is legal throughout the United States. The chemicals used by compounding pharmacies are obtained from FDA inspected and approved facilities.
On November 9, 1997, Congress passed the Food and Drug Administration Act of 1997 ("Modernization Act"), amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDC Act). The Modernization Act includes new section 503A "Pharmacy Compounding," which recognizes that pharmacy compounding is legal in the United States. In its report on the issue, Congress made it clear that patients must be permitted to have continued access to the important health care services provided by compounding pharmacies.
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Q: Why Haven’t Any Studies Been Done For Compounded Products?
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A: The majority of large studies are funded by drug manufacturers who are required to do so by the FDA in order to get a particular product approved for mass marketing. Some drugs (bio-identical hormones, for example) cannot be patented; therefore, there is no monetary incentive for any company to pay for an expensive drug study. Furthermore, there are published studies done for many ingredients used in compounded products.
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Q: Will my insurance cover compounded medications?
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A: Because compounded medications are exempt by law from having the National Drug Code ID numbers that manufactured products carry, some insurance companies will not directly reimburse the compounding pharmacy. However, almost every insurance plan allows for the patient to be reimbursed by sending in claims forms. While you may be paying a pharmacy directly for a compounded prescription, most insurance plans should cover the final cost.
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Compounding FAQs
