For most patients, they're prescribed a particular medication from their doctor and then given exactly what the doctor dictates to the pharmacist. Some pharmacies offer a service known as compounding, which gives the pharmacist more freedom in making a customized medication for patients. Read on to learn more about compounding and how it can help patients deal with a number of ailments.

What is Compounding?

Some pharmacies today offer compounding for customers. Originally this was how most medications were given to patients, but the process began to die down in the middle of the 21st century, when big drug manufacturers started to play a bigger role in the production of popular medications. Recently, compounding has made quite a comeback. Patients are realizing that some pharmaceuticals are simply not meeting their needs, and they want to have more options available when it comes to their medication. Thankfully, there has been a recent increase in pharmacies that offer this process for patients so they can receive better, more fine-tuned medications.

What are the Benefits of Compounding?

There are plenty of tangible benefits that patients have experienced by participating in the compounding process. Some of these benefits include:

• The addition of flavors to medication for children, making it easier for parents to administer it.
• The removal of unnecessary additives like artificial colors, gluten, sugar, and preservatives.
• Pharmacists can manually adjust the strength of certain medications, allowing it to target patients' unique needs.
• The way medication is administered can be changed through compounding. For example, large pills can be replaced by gels or creams that can be absorbed by the skin. They can even make some medications into lollipop form!
• Customized medication can be made to help patients slowly adjust dosages until they've found a product that will be the most effective. 

Is it Legal and Safe?

The process of compounding has been used for hundreds of years, and new technology has made the process easier and simpler than ever before. All pharmacies that process compounded medication must be regulated by the Federal Drug Administration and follow a strict set of guidelines. Only certain medicines are able to compounded. Some examples include hormone replacement therapies, pediatric medicines, infertility drugs, pain management medications, and dental medications, to name a few. Contact your local pharmacist to find out if your prescription can be created through the compounding process. They can work with you to find the right combination of ingredients to help make your medicine more effective.