What Are Compound Medications and the Benefits?

We are fortunate to be able to access a variety of medicines for many conditions. And now getting prescription medication is easier than ever with the advancements in online health services. 

But sometimes, people experience a medical condition that the usual medicine can’t treat. For example, your acne doesn’t seem to go away no matter how many products you use on your skin. Or you’re trying to prevent hair loss, but the prescribed medicines just don’t work at all. 

If this is your case, don’t worry. Medical science has progressed over the years and there is yet another innovative solution: compound medications.

 

What Are Compound Medications?

Basically, a compound medication is a product of compounding, which is the practice of creating customized preparations of medicines to meet the unique needs of a patient. 

Compounding is a complex process. In order to get the best results, compound pharmacists have to work closely with healthcare professionals to determine the specific medicinal characteristics that a patient needs. 

After that procedure, a compounding pharmacist will then provide several alterations to a particular medication. These changes may be found in the following:

• The medication’s ingredient profile
• Its pharmacokinetics
• Its dosage form
• Or its appearance or taste

Compound Medication Examples

Any doctor can prescribe a compound medication for their patients, but more often than not, compound medications are common in the following fields:

• Skincare
• Hair loss
• Weight loss
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Infectious disease
• Intravenous Therapy
• Sexual health

One common form of compound medication is the combination of two or more topical medications, which is usually intended for skin treatments. Aside from creams, compound medication also comes in the form of injectables, tablets, capsules, serums, and many more. 

What Are the Benefits of Compound Medications?

If you’re new to the idea of compound medications, you might be hesitant to try one for yourself. But luckily, compound medications are not dangerous. If anything, they actually offer the following benefits: 

Ease of Use

Medicines are notorious for having bitter tastes, and as a result, many people tend to avoid taking them even when they really need these medications. With compounding, a pharmacist can alter these medications to match a patient’s preferred flavor. In other words, compounding makes ingesting medications easier. This is incredibly helpful for patients who tend to refuse medication, such as young children and elderly patients.

Alternative Dosage Forms

Aside from changing the medicine’s taste, a compounding pharmacist can also provide alternative dosage forms for certain medications. An example of this is that some patients may prefer to ingest medicines that are liquid or chewable tablets. Or maybe someone wants to use a topical version of the medication instead because a topical is convenient and easy to use. 

Whatever the reason, compounding can change the form of medication to suit your needs. Just like the previous benefit, this one is perfect for patients who don’t enjoy ingesting drugs. 

Access to Medications That Are Discontinued

Sometimes, drug manufacturers stop producing certain drugs for a variety of reasons, and this can be an obstacle for patients who still need those discontinued medications. So, how do you find a way to fill your prescriptions when this scenario occurs? Simple. You can get help from a compounding pharmacist. 

Compounding pharmacists have access to all kinds of pharmaceutical ingredients and they are also knowledgeable about the recent research and the quality control process. As a result, they can recreate the discontinued medications that you still need.

Allergy-Friendly Medications

Some people are allergic to certain ingredients of a drug, and this can become frustrating for them when the medication they need triggers an allergic reaction from their body. Fortunately, compounding can take out the allergens from your medicines so that you can still get the care you need without worrying about an allergic reaction.

Offer Personalized Services at a Lower Cost

A compounding pharmacist uses their extensive drug knowledge to help prescribe the patient a unique treatment plan. They can offer treatments for unusual or resistant conditions that traditional pharmacies can’t help with. Compounding pharmacies have access to pure, premium-grade chemicals that often have lower costs, which makes compounded medicines less expensive than commercialized drugs. Without the cost of patenting and expensive drug components, compounded medications are significantly cheaper.

How Do You Know Compounding Pharmacy Is Credible?

While compounding pharmacies can be found everywhere, not all of them are legitimate. When checking out a compound pharmacy online, the best thing you can do is to see if the pharmacy has received certification from a widely recognized accredited organization. This certification will inform you that the pharmacy has gone through a rigorous and meticulous process of training and inspection to meet the regulatory requirements and earn that certification. 

An accredited pharmacy is fully equipped with the latest technology and the professionals there have taken specialized training. They are utterly committed to meeting the industry’s standards and providing the best and most reliable services to people. 

ZipRX’s medicine provider UBACARE has incorporated telemedicine and collaborative health record technologies that allow US and Canadian licensed medical providers to practice within their scope and manage patients remotely.  Every healthcare practitioner you interact with is licensed to diagnose and treat while complying with all governing medical laws.

Conclusion

Every patient has their own unique needs which is why some medications sold in pharmacies won’t work at all for them. In these cases, the patient might be required to resort to a compound medication, which is a customized medication tailored to a specific patient. Some of the benefits of compound medications are:

• The flavor can be changed to make it easier to consume
• The dosage form can be changed such as liquid or chewable tablets
• People can get access to medications that have been discontinued 
• Ingredients that people are allergic to can be removed

ZipRX’s medicine provider UBACARE use collaborative health technologies that allows US and Canadian licensed medical providers to practice within their scope remotely. 

Speak with a pharmacist today about compound medication for you.