Nobody Likes Side Effects

Medication aims to stop disease, prevent disease, or reduce symptoms of disease. Most drugs achieve this by stopping or starting specific chemical reactions in the body. While the drug may be effective, these chemical reactions can create other unwanted responses, known as side effects. Some side effects are a mild annoyance, while others are severe, impacting the quality of life. In some cases, side effects are unavoidable. However, many patients have seen success with the use of a compound pharmacist. Compounding is simple but timeless process that can help patients take prescribed medicines safely.

What is compounding?

Drugs are created by combining multiple ingredients to create a single treatment. These drugs come in different strengths and forms. This process is then duplicated at scale by major pharmaceutical companies for distribution. While this process is efficient, people respond to medication differently. Some need personalized medication or have specific needs. Compounding puts the creation and control of medicines back into the hands of the local pharmacist. The pharmacist makes a select drug by selecting ingredients or combining multiple medications into one dose. With compounding, pharmacists control ingredients, dosage, type of medicine, and flavor. How does compounding help with side effects?

Removing unwanted ingredients

Some side effects occur due to unnecessary ingredients found in standard medication. These could be dyes, preservatives, and other ingredients found in the drug. What patients consider side effects may actually be allergic reactions or sensitivities. Compounding helps by recreating the medicine without harmful components. The patient can still receive treatment as compounding increases medication adherence.

Avoiding dangerous interactions

Side effects can also occur when another drug or supplement is introduced while the patient is using prescription medication. That new drug can trigger a side effect if the body is weak or compromised during the initial treatment. Compounding can combine not only individual ingredients but also multiple drugs. The compounding pharmacist can include the pills in one dose without the ingredients that produce side effects.

Changing form

Some patients, particularly kids, struggle with medicine adherence due to the form of the drug. Some medicines only come in tablet form and are needed in liquid form. As a result, some patients cannot ingest the medication but must continue the prescription. Compounding can turn a drug into a different form to limit side effects. A topical form, for example, can allow someone to get treatment without unwanted reactions. Kids can also benefit by getting medicines with flavors or in another form.

Trust your compound pharmacist

Compounding is more than creating designer medicine. The process helps thousands of patients every year receive safe treatment. Some patients need a particular form without certain ingredients to avoid severe side effects and allergies. Others need topical or spray medication to avoid oral ingestion altogether. With compounding, pharmacists become essential to the patient’s overall health and wellness.