Compounding

In every field of medicine, there are some patients who don’t respond to traditional methods of treatment. Sometimes they need medicine at strengths that are not manufactured by drug companies, or perhaps they simply need a different method of ingesting medication.

At Metro Drugs our compounding meets these needs. We provide a way for physicians and our compounding pharmacists to customize an individualized prescription for the specific needs of a patient. From combining multiple medications into a single convenient dosage for hospice patients to delivering children’s cough medicine through a flavored medication, compounding provides solutions not easily met by commercial products.

Metro Drugs is a complete compounding pharmacy who specializes in fertility medications. We custom compound Lupron Micro Doses to your patients needs. We also compound DHEA capsules, Progesterone suppositories, Progesterone capsules, Estradiol, Clindamycin and Viagra suppositories. If you are a patient with allergies we produce Progesterone in various forms – sesame oil, olive oil, ethyl oleate, and 17-hydroxy. We will compound any medication in a low dose form as necessary. Please contact us for all your compounding needs and questions. You can reach our compounding staff at 888-258-0106 or e-mail us at compoundingrx@metrodrugs.com.

Below are some answers to some commonly asked questions about compounding

Q. What is compounding and how does it affect me?
Q. Can my child or elderly parent take compounded medication?
Q. What kinds or prescriptions can be compounded?
Q. Will my insurance cover compounded medications?
Q. Is compounding expensive?
Q. Is compounding legal? Is it safe?
Q. Does my doctor know about compounding?

Q. What is compounding and how does it affect me?

Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing customized medications for patients. Its practice dates back to the origins of pharmacy, yet, compounding’s presence in the pharmacy profession has changed over the years. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, approximately 60 percent of all medications were compounded. With the advent of drug manufacturing in the 1950’s and 1960’s, compounding rapidly declined. The pharmacist’s role as a preparer of medications quickly changed to that of a dispenser of manufactured dosage forms.

There are several reasons why pharmacists compound prescription medications. The most important one is what the medical community call “patient non-compliance”. Many patients are allergic to preservatives or dyes, or they are sensitive to standard drug strengths. With a physician’s consent, a compounding pharmacist can change the strength of a medication, alter its form to make it easier to ingest, or flavor it to make it more palatable. The pharmacist can also prepare the medication using several unique delivery systems, such as sublingual troche or lozenge, a lollipop or a transdermal gel or cream that can be absorbed through the skin. For those patients who are having a hard time swallowing a capsule, a compounding pharmacist can make a liquid suspension instead.

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Q. Can my child or elderly parent take compounded medication?

Yes. Children and the elderly are often the types of patients who benefit most from compounding. Often, parents have a tough time getting their children to take medicine because of the taste. A compounding pharmacist can work directly with the physician and the patient to select a flavoring agent, such as vanilla butternut or tutti frutti, which provides both an appropriate match for the medication’s properties and the patient’s taste preferences.

Compounding pharmacists also have helped patients who are experiencing chronic pain. For example, some arthritic patients cannot take certain medications due to gastrointestinal side effects. Working with their physician’s prescription, a compounding pharmacist can provide them with a topical preparation with the anti-inflammatory or analgesic their doctor has prescribed for them. Compounded prescriptions often are used for pain management in hospice care.

Q. What kinds or prescriptions can be compounded?

Almost any kind. Compounded prescriptions are ideal for any patient requiring unique dosages and/or delivery devices, which can take the form of solutions, suppositories, sprays, oral rinses, lollipops and even transdermal sticks. Compounding applications can include: Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Veterinary, Hospice, Pediatric, Ophthalmic, Dental, Otic (for the ear), Dermatology, Medication Flavoring, Chronic Pain Management, Neuropathies, Sports Medicine, Infertility, Wound Therapy, Podiatry and Gastroenterology.

Q. Will my insurance cover compounded medications?

Because compounded medications are exempt by law from having the National Drug Code ID numbers that manufactured products carry, some insurance companies will not directly reimburse the compounding pharmacy. However, almost every insurance plan allows for the patient to be reimbursed by sending in claims forms. While you may be paying a pharmacy directly for a compounded prescription, most insurance plans should cover the final cost.

Q. Is compounding expensive?

Compounding may or may not cost than conventional medication. Its cost depends on the type of dosage form and equipment required, plus the time spent researching and preparing the medication. Fortunately, compounding pharmacists have access to pure-grade quality chemicals which dramatically lower overall costs and allow them to be very competitive with commercially manufactured products.

Q. Is compounding legal? Is it safe?

Compounding has been part of healthcare since the origins of pharmacy, and is widely used today in all areas of the industry, from hospitals to nuclear medicine. Over the last decade, compounding’s resurgence has largely benefited from advance in technology, quality control and research methodology. The Food and Drug Administration has stated that compounded prescriptions are both ethical and legal as long as they are prescribed by a licensed practitioner for a specific patient and compounded by a licensed pharmacy. In addition, compounding is regulated by state boards of pharmacy.

Q. Does my doctor know about compounding?

Prescription compounding is a rapidly growing component of many physicians’ practices. But in today’s world of aggressive marketing by drug manufacturers, some may not realize the extent of compounding’s resurgence in recent years. Ask your physician about compounding.

Is compounding right for you?

Ask your physician or our pharmacist today about the benefits of personalized prescription compounding.

Have additional questions?
Call our compounding staff or pharmacist, at 212.794.7200 or e-mail us at compoundingrx@metrodrugs.com.