Village Compounding Pharmacy focuses on meeting a patient’s special
needs. Many patients have trouble taking certain medications in their
original form. One way we customize medications is by altering the
dosage form. There are many ways to take a medication and we want to
make sure we can find the most effective outcome, if that means changing
how a prescription is administered. We can make anything from cream and
gels to sterile injections. For example, if a baby cannot take a pill
orally, we can have that pill made into a cream to rub and absorb into
the skin the area of treatment.
Our compounding pharmacist has received
advanced training in the preparation of customized dosage forms to meet
each patient’s specific needs. We offer many unique options for pain
management, regardless of pain origin and whether pain is acute or
chronic. By working together with patient, physician, and other members
of the health care team, we can individualize medications and make
necessary adjustments to maximize pain relief.
Options include:
Oral Dosage Forms - are often preferred due to convenience.
We can combine numerous compatible medications into a single dose for
ease of administration. However, conditions including mucositis,
impaired swallowing or gastrointestinal obstruction may prevent the use
of oral medications.
Transdermal Therapy – absorption of medication through the skin
or mucosa – is an important alternative to traditional methods of drug
delivery. The optimal dosage form depends upon the specific needs of
each patient. For example, troches contain medication that is absorbed
through the mucosal lining of the cheeks as the troche dissolves,
instead of being absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract like oral
preparations which are swallowed. Transdermal gels have been known to be
an effective method of administering medications via absorption through
the skin, providing high local concentrations below the site of
application, often without causing side effects associated with systemic
(oral) drug administration. Medications absorbed transdermally bypass
the gastrointestinal tract and first-pass metabolism by the liver.
Therefore, significant amounts of medication are not eliminated from the
body before the drug has a chance to reach target tissues, and
significant fluctuations that occur when a person has liver disease are
avoided. Studies suggest that there are no great restrictions on the
type of drug that can be incorporated into a properly compounded
transdermal gel.
Rectal Administration of suppositories or other dosage forms may
be preferable when patients have nausea or vomiting, or are fasting
other preoperatively or postoperatively. This route is not useful during
episodes of diarrhea or for inform patients who do not have reliable
home care providers.
Nasal Dosage Forms are useful alternatives, with several
medications currently being studied for nasal administration.
Injectable (subcutaneous, intravenous) medications should be used
when simpler, less demanding methods are inappropriate or ineffective.
Intramuscular injections should be avoided in chronic pain patients
because of unreliable absorption, pain, and inconvenience.
Flavoring
Another area we focus on when changing the dosage form of a medication
is flavoring. Because everyone has different taste buds, we offer a wide
variety of flavors. From chicken or fish for cats to cherry flavoring
for young children, we want to make sure our patients are satisfied with
the taste of their medications. Click on the link below to view a list
of our many flavors.
