The Most Common Compounded Prescriptions to Know

There is a difference between pharmaceutical manufacturing and compounding. In this guide, we will discuss the difference and explore the most common compounded prescriptions.

Big companies manufacture many prescriptions in the United States. The FDA approves manufactured medications; therefore, they must follow FDA guidelines and be sold commercially. They are created to meet a one-size-fits-all treatment for patients. However, you may be one of the many who do not benefit from a one-size-fits-all kind of medicine. Too often, what you need is not commercially available. The strength, dose, concentration, or how they are consumed may not be right for you.

When this happens, you can seek help from a compounding pharmacy with high-quality compounded medication.

What Is A Compounding Pharmacy?

Here, the compounding pharmacist can make medicine specifically to meet your needs. Your doctor can write a prescription, your pharmacist will create it, and you can be confident the medicine will work for you, with less chance of side effects.

Compounding pharmacies are a big deal in the United States. Currently, it is a 4.7 million dollar industry and is only expected to grow. They are regulated by the State Pharmacy Board rather than the FDA. There are multiple reasons compounding is preferred over manufactured drugs.

Your doctor may choose a compounded medicine if you have allergies to common commercially produced medicine fillers like gluten or dyes.  Also, some people stop taking medication as prescribed due to unpleasant side effects. Or, they don’t see an improvement, so they assume it is not worth taking. This may mean they need a more customized medication.

For adults, there is a long list of the most common compounded prescriptions that come with individualized benefits.

Compounded Prescriptions for Adults

Your pharmacist can compound many medicines prescribed for adults and specifically for women’s health.

Bio-Identical Hormones

Bio-identical hormones are offering relief of negative symptoms for women and men. These are medicines that are not provided via manufactured medication. Because of this, your pharmacist must hand-create your medicine with each order.

This is an excellent benefit since your hormones are completely different from others, especially the opposite sex. Compounding helps you better meet your hormonal needs.

Diabetes Medication

Also, many people with diabetes are prescribed Metformin. What you may not know is that Metformin can be compounded in a transdermal ointment. Rather than taking a pill, you can apply Metformin in a topical cream to your body, avoiding some of the side effects some experience.

Blood Pressure Medication

Medicines for blood pressure like Lisinopril, Losartan, and Amlodipine are commercially made in pill form. Compounding pharmacists can create tablets that can be crushed into powder form and dissolved in a liquid for drinking. The same is true of commonly prescribed medicines for cholesterol like Atorvastatin.

Other Common Compounded Prescriptions

Antidepressants, anti-anxiety, allergies, and antibiotics can also be compounded to meet your needs. Further, medicines used to treat thyroid and gastrointestinal issues are commonly compounded by pharmacists.

Taking pain medications can be dangerous if the dose is wrong or if the strength is too high. Compounding pain medicines often prevent side effects and dangers such as this.

Finally, some of the most common compounded prescriptions are cosmeceuticals. Your pharmacist can compound products that fight aging and help you take care of your skin based on your specific needs.

There are even many medications used by children that can be modified or created.

Compounded Prescriptions for Children

Some of the most common compounded prescriptions are made for children.

Antibiotics

Children get sick. It is inevitable. When they do, doctors often prescribe antibiotics like Amoxycillin. Not too many children can take a pill form of this antibiotic. However, compounding pharmacies can offer it in a liquid form, making it easier for both parents and children.

Other antibiotics commonly prescribed and compounded include azithromycin, cephalexin, and ciprofloxacin, containing both antibiotics and steroids.

Steroids

Steroids like prednisone and fluticasone can be compounded based on a child’s needs and the severity of symptoms. Allergy and asthma medicines like Singulair can be compounded in a variety of forms. In addition, many doctors and parents choose liquid doses and nasal sprays as an alternative to pills.

Other Compounding Options

Additionally, commonly prescribed ADHD medications like Adderall and Ritalin, pain medicines like Hydro codeine, and cough medicines like dextromethorphan can be compounded.

Compounded Prescriptions for Pets

Pets are family too. We recognize the importance of providing medications your pet can easily consume and work much better than commercially manufactured prescriptions. Most veterinarians recognize the benefits of custom compounding for pets too.

Common examples of pet medications include antibiotics like doxycycline. This can treat many types of bacterial infections, including Lyme disease. Pets with upset stomachs may be prescribed Famotidine, while pets with allergies may be treated with Diphenhydramine or Doxepin.

There are medications prescribed to pets that are also prescribed to humans. Doxycycline mentioned above is one. Others include:

• Tramadol for pain
• Prednisone for inflammation
• Sucralfate for digestional issues like ulcers
• Hydrogen Peroxide in emergency injuries

Benefits of Compounded Prescriptions

Hate trying to swallow massive pills? No problem. With compounding, your pharmacist can provide your medicine in a form that meets your needs. This means drugs can be created as:

• Topical creams
• Liquids
• Capsules
• Gel caps
• Small pills, or massive pills if that is what you prefer

Further, pharmacists can add flavoring to your medicine. This is especially helpful when administering medication to children. It makes that yucky but much-needed medication a little bit easier for kids to handle. For pets, you can choose flavors like chicken, beef, or fish to make it easier to administer.

If you have allergies, your pharmacist can formulate your medicine without the ingredient causing adverse reactions. They can change the casein and eliminate unnecessary ingredients. Finally, when you and your doctor discover the exact dosage for your treatment, your pharmacist can replicate your doctor’s orders.

Choosing the Right Pharmacy

As mentioned, there are many compounding pharmacies in America. That doesn’t mean they are all right for you, however. There are specific things to look for when choosing a compounding pharmacy.

Choose a pharmacy that includes you in the planning process of your compounded medicine.

The right pharmacy will get to know you and guide you in making the right decisions about your prescriptions. They have many years of experience and care about your community, something major chain pharmacies can’t always do. The right pharmacy makes your health a priority.

And check out Burt’s Rx’s compounding pharmacy services, which include pediatric compounding, pet compounding, compounded medication for pain management, BHRT, and dental compounding.