Drug compounding is a service provided by some pharmacies and is a process in which medications are prepared in unique formulations for a specific patient. These formulations can sometimes be very important in meeting a patient’s needs, such as when a person is allergic to an inactive ingredient found in commercially available forms of the medication.
To Combine Medications
Sometimes a compounding pharmacist may create a unique capsule containing different drugs a patient uses to limit the number of pills she is required to take.
Flavoring
Not as great an issue as a lack of access to commercially available drugs, taste can occasionally make a difference as to whether children will take their medication or not. Compounding pharmacists can change the ingredients so that flavor is added, or unpleasant flavor is withheld.
Benefits and Risks
As with any medication you use, whether prescription, over-the-counter or nutritional supplements, it’s important to weigh the benefits and risks for you personally.
Risks
The potential risks associated with a compounded drug may include:7
- A drug that has too little or too much of the active ingredient if it is poorly formulated
- Contamination during preparation
- Lack of effectiveness due to the makeup of the formulation (for example, inactive ingredients can affect how rapidly and how much of a drug is absorbed)
Why do some patients need compounded drugs?
A drug may be compounded for a patient who cannot be treated with an FDA-approved medication, such as a patient who has an allergy to a certain dye and needs a medication to be made without it, or an elderly patient or a child who cannot swallow a tablet or capsule and needs a medicine in a liquid dosage form.