Compounding is the ancient art of creating customized pharmaceutical preparations (medications) by a licensed pharmacist to meet the unique needs of an individual patient when a commercially available drug does not meet those needs.

 

The following are a few examples of how a compounding pharmacist can customize medications based upon a prescription to meet a patient’s needs:

 

• A customized strength or dosage

• Flavoring a medication

• Reformulation of a medication to exclude an unwanted, non-essential ingredient, such as lactose, gluten, or a dye to which a patient has an allergy or intolerance.

• Change the dosage form of the medication to better suit the patient’s needs.

• Preservative free medications.

• And many more.

 

Compounding pharmacists can incorporate medications into specially flavored liquids, topical creams, transdermal gels, suppositories, lollipops, and many other dosage forms to meet the unique needs of individual patients.