Pharmaceutical Compounding And Prescriptions

Although drug manufacturing has largely overshadowed pharmaceutical compounding in recent years, it is important to realise that compounding was the normal order of business for pharmacies back in their earliest days. In fact, 60% of all medications were compounded back before drug manufacturing really took off. Despite the surge in manufacturing capabilities, however, the compounding pharmacy has remained a very necessary entity. However, many people are understandably confused regarding compounded medications and prescriptions. Since modern compounding generally involves customising prescription grade medications into different doses or modes of delivery (i.e., pills versus serums), in most cases a prescription is absolutely necessary.

Prescriptions That Can Be Compounded

Virtually any regular prescription medication can be safely compounded. This holds true not only for human medicines, but veterinary compounding is quite common as well. If you currently receive a prescription medication, chances are that it can be compounded. The most popular reason that most prescriptions are compounded is to make them easier for different people (or animals) to take. A person who has difficulty swallowing pills, for instance, can have their prescription compounded another form such as a liquid, spray, suppository or even a lollipop. Compounding is what makes it possible for you to advise your physician that you'd prefer a pill versus a liquid, for example.

There is a very broad range of prescription medicines that can be compounded. Medicines from a huge array of different sources are generally eligible. Some examples of these include medicines prescribed in the fields of dentistry, podiatry, chronic pain management, gastroenterology, infertility and dermatology. In addition, prescription medicines for paediatrics, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, neuropathies, sports medicine and wound therapy are commonly compounded. Considering the broad swath of medicines that qualify for compounding, it's not surprising that most people end up being prescribed a compounded medication at some point or another.

The Legalities Of Pharmaceutical Compounding

When discussing pharmaceutical compounding, it is important to note that if the individual chemicals used to create a compounded medication require prescriptions, the resulting compounded medication does, too. This seems to make sense, but if the ingredients used to make up a medication do not require a prescription - but are classified as drugs - then the resulting compounded medication requires a prescription. Considering that you need to pick up compounded medicines at the pharmacy, it makes sense that they generally require a prescription. You cannot simply take a prescribed medicine and ask a pharmacist to change it for you - you need to obtain a specific prescription from a physician. In many ways, this is why a lot of people are largely unaware of the processes behind pharmaceutical compounding: they most happen behind the scenes and out of sight.