Compounding Pharmacy Operations - What Is Compound Medication?

In the world of pharmaceuticals, compounding pharmacies are preparation of a unique formulation of an important drug to meet a specific medical need of an individual patient which cannot be met by commercially available products. These pharmacies use pharmaceutical preparations that have been standardized in their strength, format, and administration form. Compound pharmacy preparation may include the use of powdered form of the drug or may be a tablet.

This process of compounding pharmacies Sydney is beneficial to both the physician and the patient because they are prepared in a specific proportion to meet the precise specifications of the medicine or other compound that needs to be administered. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approves these preparations if they are shown to be effective and efficient in treating the condition indicated. Furthermore, compounding pharmacies help save the time and money of the health care practitioner or the patient by enabling faster delivery. The medications are delivered in dosages that are calculated specifically for each individual patient's needs. There is also more uniformity in the dosage of these medicines. This is a positive factor in maintaining compliance with legal and professional responsibility requirements.

Many people are reluctant to purchase prescription medications from a compounding pharmacy due to their lack of experience in this area. However, these pharmacies have been regulated and certified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) so that they can legally offer this service. Furthermore, many people are wary of purchasing over-the-counter medications that are not approved by the FDA due to the increased risk of contamination and possible side effects. Most importantly, these drugs cannot be offered by any health insurance plan.

The FDA approval process requires the compounding of medicines to follow specific standards and guidelines which are based on the properties of the medicine or other compound being compounded. This includes exact ratios of the key ingredients as well as key drug inactive ingredients. Another aspect is that all components, both active and inactive, must be formed into a formulation that can be administered to the appropriate patient. It is the quality control of these formulations that separate a properly compounding pharmacy from an improperly performing one. A properly performing compounding pharmacy will typically require a letter of authority from a physician or other medical professional confirming the physician's prescription for a specific patient and listing the ingredients that make up the medicine as an ingredient.

In order to obtain a license to perform business in this industry, a compounding pharmacy near me must meet a set of guidelines. These guidelines require a large number of criteria to be reviewed and revised on a regular basis. This ensures that these pharmacies remain compliant with federal and state laws while still providing consumers with the highest quality of medication available. In addition, these pharmacies are required to meet consistently stringent quality standards as determined by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Pharmacy (JCAPh) which certifies that they meet defined criteria when performing their business duties.

A compounding pharmacy will prepare both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products, but most commonly the pharmaceutical products are sold for human consumption. However, some manufacturers will produce them for pets. In the preparation of their dosage forms, a compounding pharmacy will utilize several different methods. Some of the more common methods include:

Lactose Intakes: A compounding pharmacy may utilize the following method when preparing lactose concentration compound drugs. This process involves combining the lactose sugar with a powdered lactose albumin that is highly effective in breaking down and mixing the sugar and lactose together in a certain amount of water. Then the water is added to the mixture to form a thick milky substance known as a lactose concentrate. The milky water is then administered to the patient directly through a tablet or capsule.

Other Methods Not Used By Most Compound Pharmacy: Most pharmacies that specialize in producing high quality compounded medications will not utilize any of these other methods of production. These other methods are very undesirable because they produce contaminated finished products and can be harmful to patients if administered improperly. Furthermore, the FDA has placed strict limitations on the production of these inactive ingredients in an effort to increase the purity of the medicines. These medications are still not approved for human consumption; however they have shown great potential as pharmaceutical drug ingredients.