Compounding pharmacies

It used to be that ALL pharmacies were compounding pharmacies.  I remember as a little child watching the doctor's nurse put up MY meds -- my Benedryl liquid (what is now the elixer) was the stronger stuff with pure water added and they used to make it up for whatever strength needed.

When my Muffin the Intrepid was being treated for cancer, my vet got his chemo drug thru a compounding pharmacy so it was a liquid and was specifically dosed as a liquid so Dr. Bailey could dose it bang on exactly what Muffin needed rather than having to give him the "too big" or "too small" dose.

Here in the US we've gotten so used to the big drug companies telling doctors what pills they would use -- 250 mg or 500 mg or whatever and that's ALL no matter how big or small or young or old the person is.

 It's like with Atopica (the dog form of cyclosporine) -- you can get  100 mg., 50, 25 or 10.  THAT is all.  So ... when you wean it off it gets very very difficult -- particularly if you have a small dog who only started on the 25's. 

In that case, a dog can't take the human form because the Atopica is so formulated specifically for the *dog* stomach.  When Billy was battling the IMHA I was warned on MANY fronts **not** to give him the human cyclosporine -- that it would kill him because they can't tolerate it.

Compounding pharmacies are few and far between now -- we've got maybe 3 left in Orlando I know of.  But they do a ton of good for people (and animals).  Several years ago my doctor prescribed a particular skin cream for me that was a light steroid ointment with tar in it --- and he had me go to a compounding pharmacy to have it done. 

 It just makes me scratch my head -- they allow big drug companies to "advertise" on television so they make a med look like it's the answer to everyone's dream so people go to the doctor SPECIFICALLY to *ask* for that drug (despite whatever contra-indications there may be or whether or not that person has actually been diagnosed with that 'problem';).

How many of us first heard the term "Acid Reflux" courtesy of Prilosec years ago??  And now it's otc!  *sigh*

marty_ga

I saw a notice there that these pharmacies may be in jeopardy

I have used compounding pharmacies for years both for myself and animals. 

 It was a leaflet, available when I turned in the RX.  Like I said, it may be only GA.  I will find out...

calliecritturs

we've gotten so used to the big drug companies telling doctors what pills they would use -- 250 mg or 500 mg or whatever and that's ALL no matter how big or small or young or old the person is.

 

LOL callie, the drug companies don't decide this ha ha ha.  The scientists that study the drugs determine which doses get the desired results with the least side effects.  The drug companies making the pills in only a few dosages (the ones most commonly used) makes the medications MUCH cheaper for people.  Medications are dosed by weight for children and pets, but in general, once you are bigger then 45 kilos you don't need to do this.  Compounding pharmacies are great for certain things, but it would be far too expensive and time consuming to prepare all medications.