It’s easy to confuse a compounding pharmacy with a standard pharmacy. But what is a compounding pharmacy, and what is the difference between a compounding pharmacy vs a regular pharmacy? Both types of pharmacies prepare medications prescribed for a patient by a doctor. The main difference is that a regular pharmacy provides commercial medications in standardized dosages, while a compounding pharmacy can customize medication based on a patient’s specific needs. Let’s learn more about compounding pharmacies vs regular pharmacies.
What Is a Compounding Pharmacy?
The traditional role of a compounding pharmacy is to create medications using custom doses, ingredients, and forms to best meet the needs of a patient. The modern compounding pharmacy has its roots in the 19th century when doctors would both prescribe a medication and then make it for their patients. As time went on, the practice of medicine and pharmacy separated, and today drugs are manufactured on a mass scale. But while these commercial medications work for most, some patients need the individual customization of a compounding pharmacy.
Today, the key differences between a compounding pharmacy vs regular pharmacy include the following points.
1. Different Forms of the Same Medication
At a compounding pharmacy, you can choose what form your medication comes in, including:
- Liquid
- Powder
- Cream
- Capsule
- Ointment
You might want your medication to come in a different form because of allergies or intolerances. For example, an oral medication may irritate your digestive system, but a powder or cream can deliver relief without unwanted side effects.
2. Medications for Children and Pets
Compounding pharmacies create specialty drugs for children and pets, who are typically finicky when it comes to taking their medications. If you are struggling to convince your child or pet to take a needed medication, a compounding pharmacy can offer a powder form that you can hide in their food, or they can customize the flavor to make it more palatable.
3. Customized Dosages
Commercial medications have standardized dosages. If you need a dosage that is not commercially available, a compounding pharmacy can create it for you. Dosages can be customized to your age, weight, medical condition, and sensitivity to side effects.
If you have concerns about your medications or trouble finding help for your health conditions, contact your compounding pharmacy.
Ready to Learn More?
Compounding pharmacies have an important role to play in helping you have a more positive experience with your medication. If a commercial drug is not available, doesn’t work for your needs, or has challenging side effects, a compounding pharmacy can help find a solution.
Learn more about Strive Pharmacy and our services to get started.
Recent Comments