What is Compounding?
What is compounding?
Pharmaceutical compounding is the art and science of preparing personalized medications for patients. Compounded medications are “made from scratch,” whereby individual ingredients are mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form specified by the physician. This method allows the compounding pharmacist to work with the patient and the prescriber to customize a medication to meet the patient’s specific needs. Our team of pharmacists and technicians are thoroughly trained in compounding and undergo additional training and testing on a continual basis.
A brief history of compounding
At one time, nearly all prescriptions were compounded, however, with the advent of mass drug manufacturing in the 1950’s and 60’s, compounding rapidly declined. The pharmacist’s role as a preparer of customized medications quickly changed to that of a dispenser of manufactured drugs. In the years that followed, pharmacy schools began to drop their compounding and herbal medicine curriculums, therefore decreasing this knowledge base for pharmacists. As a consequence of this paradigm shift, if a patient did not fit the manufacturer’s mold, their individual needs were not being met.
Fortunately, there were still a few pharmacists that were more patient-centric and who would seek extra education to learn compounding skills in order to help their patients. With modern technology, innovative techniques, continual research, and professional networking, pharmacists are able to specialize in compounding customized medications to meet the specific needs of their patients.