Technology, welfare and pharmacy assistance

go through Nathalie Haggerty

Compound technology is a special technique that enables pharmacists to combine or mix ingredients, especially for patients, who may not be able to take medications like the ones originally produced by the manufacturer. The technology essentially customizes drugs that are not available through commercial manufacturing. Sometimes, patients may not respond to commercially available drugs on the market, or they may only respond to other forms of drugs. Alternatively, the patient may have an allergic reaction to the original drug due to its original mold or filler. Compounding allows pharmacists to meet the needs of patients and help them heal by tailoring medications to cope with specific symptoms.

According to the FDA, compounding must be done by a licensed pharmacist, physician or person supervised by a licensed pharmacist. When modifying the prescription, any of these three practitioners can change the dosage form, dosage, dosage interval, and route of administration. Complex drugs can meet the individual needs of patients but are not approved by the FDA. Therefore, it is important to discuss the benefits with your pharmacist and the possible risks associated with compounded medications.

What is the composite technology?

We focus primarily on three techniques for compounding: suspension, triple and seasoning. Suspension is to reduce the particle size of the powder by mixing the powder and grinding it with a pestle and mortar, and mixing a small amount of liquid in the mixture. Trituration is the actual process of grinding one compound with another or dilution ingredient to reduce the specific size of the particles. Flavoring can enhance the taste of the drug and make it easier for patients to eat.

At APC, our composite pharmacies specialize in making compounds that are primarily pain-related. For example, we focus on low doses of naltrexone capsules to address chronic pain and autoimmune diseases, even ketamine/buprenorphine therapeutics, which are also used for pain. We also combine topical face creams to attack pain in local areas of the body.

What are the benefits of compounding?

Compounding can help our patients lead healthier and fulfilling lives by eliminating symptoms that commercial drugs may not meet their needs. With complexity, we are able to provide unique pain treatments to relieve their personalized pain.

We are able to take medications that may no longer be offered through the manufacturer. Sometimes, manufacturers have stopped production of specific drugs, or have no specific drugs for all the components that patients may need. Compound plays a crucial role in providing patient access to those unavailable pharmaceutical ingredients.

The patient can be facilitated by adding multiple ingredients to one compound. I specifically consider our compound painkillers that are personalized pain in specific parts of the patient’s body. It makes medications and face creams extremely personalized, using different advantages and more accurate administration to target the needs of patients. We can also tailor the medicines to be easier to digest, especially for those who have difficulty taking certain medicines due to flavoring. Moreover, compounding allows us to remove certain ingredients, such as fillers and molds, which can cause allergic reactions in some patients. It just makes the medication more personalized to support the health of our patients.

In some cases, compound drugs are more cost-effective than certain commercially available alternatives. An example we often see is buprenorphine products, which cost $1000 per month. The alternatives we make are usually around $60 a month, depending on the quantity.

How do we support the compound needs of patients?

We work with our patients’ providers to ensure our patients’ ability to effectively receive our combined specific therapies. We provide them with all the information that best suits their medical needs to choose the right choice. If the patient has been taking commercial medications but has not got the results they are looking for, or their pain cannot be relieved; we usually recommend the use of compound alternatives.

Compounding also allows us to change the composition of the drug in a way that meets the patient’s price point. For example, commercial drugs can be very expensive, for example, buprenorphine. Compounding may make the medication more affordable and better meet the needs of patients, thus making the prescription more effective.

In particular, for painkillers, we can provide more complex medications in a timely manner, as we specifically aggravate these medications. Because in some medications, we are familiar with compounding; we usually get patient care on the same day. Overall, compounding is a great way to meet patient needs more effectively.