Compounding pharmacy offers the making of some specific prescribed medicines according to a specific dosage and type for a specific patient or pets. The meaning of compounding pharmacy is to provide the compounding services to provide some specific customized medicines according to prescribed medications for some special patients. In short, compounding pharmacies can make such specific dosages of prescriptions that are not commercially available in the market.

What a compounding pharmacy and what it provides extra that a regular pharmacy won’t offer? You should go through the whole article to know all about compounding pharmacy, its definition, its meaning and the difference between compounding and regular pharmacy.

What is the Meaning of Compounding in Pharmacy?

compounding with mortar in pharmacy laboratory

The meaning of compounding is to customize the specific prescriptions to meet some unique needs for some special cases. For example, if a patient is allergic to oral prescriptions, then any health consultant may prescribe him a special prescription to use the powdered version of the same prescription. A compounding pharmacy may provide him the same prescription in different forms. In another example, if a person requires a specific drug that is not commercially available in the market due to shortage, then compounding pharmacies can help him provide the same prescribed medication after checking a written prescription by a certified doctor.

What Do Compounding Pharmacies Do?

It is clearly defined by the definition of compounding pharmacies that they do compounding to create special prescriptions in any specific form or specific dosage for some special patients. They fill your unique prescriptions after authenticating them from your health consultants and provide you with all those special medicines in specific dosages that are not available commercially.

For example, if a child or pet is reluctant to take the medicines due to bad taste, then compounding pharmacies can make you some flavored medicines of the same formulation or prescriptions. Some people are allergic to some compounds that are present in standard medicines like Lactose or Gluten. So, compounding experts may help them to have the same medicines without those specific allergic elements under authentic prescriptions by health experts. Once a compounding pharmacy fills your prescription and adds its data into the database after confirmation from certified doctors, you may also refill your prescription online later.

What is the Difference Between a Compounding Pharmacy and a Regular Pharmacy?

two female pharmacists are using a mortar and pestle to mix medicine for compounding pharmacy

The real difference between a compounding pharmacy and a regular pharmacy lies in the meaning of compounding pharmacy. Compounding pharmacy can provide the compounding services of the base elements and create the most unique and specific dosages of the prescribed medications.

What is a compounding pharmacy and how it differs from a regular pharmacy can be understood well from the following comparison chart that differentiate the definition, meaning and benefits of compounding pharmacy from a regular pharmacy.

Regular Pharmacy

  • A regular pharmacy sells the pre-made prescriptions by the commercial brands.
  • A regular pharmacy usually does not provide you the same medication in other forms.
  • A regular pharmacy sells the prescriptions with pre controlled dosage.
  • A regular pharmacy won’t provide the special formulas for allergies.
  • A regular pharmacy sells the standard medicines and can’t do anything about related side effects.
Compounding Pharmacy

  • A compounding pharmacy compounds the base elements to make customized prescriptions.
  • A compounding pharmacy can provide you the prescribed formulation in any form like powders, liquids or tablets etc.
  • A compounding pharmacy may give you the required dosage of any prescription.
  • A compounding pharmacy may provide all the specialty medications for your skin allergies.
  • A compounding pharmacies compounds the medicines by reducing the possible side effects by reducing the risky compounds.

Are Compounded Drugs Approved by FDA?

Compounding Pharmacies are not FDA approved but the compounding pharmacies use a typical drug approval process to make the most effective and risk free medicines. FDA won’t ensure the safety and effectiveness of the compounded drugs but they are safe because they are regulated by the state board of pharmacies. All the data related to any prescription is stored in an online database before filling that compounding prescription.

What Quality Standards Apply to Compounded Drugs?

The quality standards related to compounded drugs may differ from state to state because FDA does not regulate the compounded drugs, but some common federal standards should be followed to ensure the quality of the compounded drugs. For example, compounding preparation and packing should be done under highly sanitized conditions.

Some other standards that must be obliged are:

  • Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) requirements need to be met while compounding the drugs.
  • The compounding pharmacy should be licensed for compounding by the state.

You have to make sure to get the benefits of compounding pharmacy from the licensed and authorized compounding pharmacy in Kensington MD. Moreover, you can now also order the compounding services from an online pharmacy near Kensington of Maryland.