About Compounding

Compounding = Custom Medication Services

Customized solutions for therapeutic problems
Unusual dosage forms
Safe and effective medications for both humans and animals
Treatment of rare and unusual medical conditions
Options not available with commercially available products.
Medications for humans and animal patients

What Is Compounding?
Compounding is a way for physicians or other healthcare professionals (including veterinarians) to order custom medications for their patients.

The compounding pharmacist combines the necessary ingredients into the desired formulation prescribed by the doctor. This service is called extemporaneous compounding, and is only offered by qualified pharmacists skilled in the art and science of compounding.

Why do we need compounded medications?
There are many reasons that a patient may require that a product be created to best suit their medical needs.

Here are a few examples of why a medication would need to be compounded:
  • The dosage required by the patient is not available commercially
  • The dosage formulation required by the patient is not available commercially (i.e. a patient cannot swallow pills, therefore the pharmacist make the medication into a liquid form)
  • The medication is not available in the correct form and needs to be converted to one of the following: capsules, oral liquid, topical cream or gel, or suppository.
  • The commercially available formulation may not be in a form appropriate for an animal (i.e. flavouring)

Although such products most often require a prescription from your physician, many physicians are not aware that such services are offered. In addition, since not all pharmacists offer this service, either the physician or the patient must be aware of such pharmacies