What is compounding?

Compounding is the art of making medicine from scratch, so it can be customized to fit the patient perfectly. 

Why is there compounding?

Some patients have special needs that go beyond what a commercially available medicine can offer.

Who needs compounded medicines?

Anyone who needs a customized medicine solution. Like an infant, who only needs a very small dose.
Or a woman who needs hormones in precise, customized doses to minimize the side effects of menopause.   

Is compounding a new idea?

No. In fact, until the 1950's, virtually all medicines in the U.S. were made by a local compounding pharmacist. 

Lab Wide Tilt Shift 1200x600.jpg

Since 1997, the professionals at Prescription Lab have been compounding custom medicines to the exact specifications of the prescription. 

 

Some patients are real animals.

Compounding is more than a people-solution: animals get sick, too. And when they do, customized medicine can make all the difference. Would a dog prefer a large chalky pill, or a bacon-flavored treat? You know the answer. Compounding allows us to customize the form each medicine takes, like flavored drops you can put in your pet's food. So thanks to compounding, administering medicines to a sick animal is easier and more effective than ever.

At Prescription Lab, we have more than 15 years of experience compounding pain medications, valley fever medicines, anti-inflammatories, and dozens of other formulas for animals. We work hand-in-hand with veterinarians to create the ideal solution every time.

If your vet gives you a prescription for compounding, tell them you want the experts at Prescription Lab to fill it. We have so many ways to make your pet's medicine perfect, right down to their choice of flavors.

 

 

Touch his nose to let him know you have a delicious treat.

 

Compounding medicine: How it all works.

 

Compounding is a complex science that requires knowledge, experience, and above all, consistent precision. At Prescription Lab, we follow certain protocols to be sure every medicine that we compound is exactly what it should be. If you're curious about how a compounded medicine gets made, here's an exclusive behind-the-scenes look. 

 

Every compounded medicine begins with a detailed prescription from an authorized healthcare provider. The prescription tells us everything we need to know to create the medicine. Since 1997, we've worked hand in hand with Tucson's healthcare providers to craft custom medicines for their patients.

 
2 Pharmacist Checks.jpg

 

2: A pharmacist reviews the prescription.

A pharmacist reviews the prescription to be sure the medication, strength, dose and directions for use are all appropriate. This step is one of many "checks" that are built into the process of making compounded medicines, to be sure everything is correct every step of the way.

 
3 Pharmacist Formula.jpg

 

3: A pharmacist creates a custom formula.

The most important feature of a compounded medicine is that it can be customized to the exact needs of each patient. Based on those needs, the pharmacist creates a formula to guide the technicians who make the medicine. Special factors like allergies, sensitivities, flavor preferences, and form preferences are all accounted for when the pharmacist creates the formula.

4 Pharm Check.jpg

 

4: Another pharmacist checks the formula.

A second pharmacist reviews the formula, double-checking to be sure all of the calculations were made correctly.

Once a formula has been prepared and checked, it's given to a certified pharmacy technician. The technician is a highly trained compounding expert, with experience creating all kinds of different medicines. The technician follows the formula like a recipe, using proper compounding techniques. As you might expect, the technician uses some very sophisticated machinery to compound medicines. A pharmacy manager will check to be sure the technician used the correct chemicals, capsules, and delivery device.

5 Unguator.jpg
5 Acoustic Mixer.jpg
6 Pharmacist Checks.jpg

6: A pharmacist checks the finished medicine.

The final inspection involves the pharmacist, confirming that the medication, strength, dose, and directions are each appropriate. They also confirm that the prescription was typed out correctly on the label, they check the weights that were printed by the technician, and they confirm that the correct flavors were used.

The pharmacist's final responsibility is to be sure the medicine fits the description of "pharmaceutically elegant." That's a pharmacist's way of saying, "Is it right?" They want to be sure the formula was successful, meaning the medicine isn't separated, clumpy, discolored, grainy, or anything less than exactly how it should be. When a medicine passes all of these inspections, it's ready for the patient.

 

7: Someone gets better.

Getting the medicine to the patient is the easiest part. They can pick it up right here at Prescription Lab, we can have it delivered anywhere in the city of Tucson, or we can ship it to their address in Arizona. Some prescriptions require a signature for delivery. 

 
Cart (0)