AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As changes in the nation’s healthcare system continue to pressure medical providers to be less generous with time and resources, Texas independent pharmacists are offering patients more through the practice of compounding.
According to the Alliance of Independent Pharmacists of Texas (Alliance) www.aiptexas.org, Texans are enjoying greater options in the medicines and dosages than ever before as more pharmacists create solutions to meet a patient’s individual unique need. The process of compounding includes making medication easier to swallow for a child or elderly patient, providing medications and dosages adapted for a patient’s specific need, providing medications not commercially manufactured and providing medications in short supply.
Sherry Floyd was one such patient. For years, the Westlake, Texas, resident suffered from debilitating migraines that were often caused by muscle tension in her shoulders. Common prescription medications for migraines didn’t help much, but recently she has been using a customized pain cream compounded by her local compounding pharmacy that has given her the best relief in years. “The pain cream has given me definite relief from the shoulder pain that often triggers my migraines,” said Floyd.
“While many patients benefit from mass-produced medications, others greatly benefit from compounding,” said Nathan Pope, Pharm.D, FACA, Clinical Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. “One patient’s needs may be different from another’s and compounding lets pharmacists and doctors work together to formulate a dosage and medication mix that is tailored to a specific patient. Compounding pharmacists also supply surgery centers and doctors’ offices with medications that are not available through drug manufacturers.”
The compounding medication was an essential role of pharmacists dating back to the origins of the profession: for hundreds of years, an individual pharmacist mixed each medicine for their patients. In the early 1950s, with the advent of mass-produced medications by drug manufacturers, compounding became less common. More recently, as patients, doctors and pharmacists look for ways to address specific individual needs, compounding has regained popularity.
Compounders, as well as all pharmacists, are highly trained healthcare professionals. Students graduate as a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) by completing coursework that typically includes two years of pre-pharmacy work and four years of pharmacy school. They learn the chemistry of the human body and how it reacts with different medications and the final year includes a series of rotations on-site in different pharmacy settings. Additionally, pharmacists must receive 30 hours of continuing education every two years to keep their Texas pharmacy license current.
Many compounders are also independent pharmacists who provide vital healthcare services to Texans in their communities. Community members often first visit independent pharmacists for suggestions and medical advice on symptoms. For patients who have limited or no healthcare coverage, independent pharmacists may be the only healthcare professional they see regularly.
Patients that believe they might benefit from compounded medication should talk to their pharmacist or doctor to discuss options available to them. For more information on compounding, visit www.aiptexas.org.
NOTE TO MEDIA: Compounding pharmacists are located in many communities throughout Texas and we are happy to assist you in identifying a local pharmacist to provide their perspective and insight into the benefits of compounding for patients.