Is Non-Sterile Compounding Right For You?
Did you know that we can make your prescription medications in-house at our pharmacies? Ella Community Pharmacy is proud to be able to provide our patients with compounding services to better fit their needs and personalize their care.
By working with patients and prescribers, pharmacists are able to customize medications to get the best results for each individual patient.
What is Compounding?
Compounding a medication means to prepare a custom formulation of it in order to fit a unique need that cannot be met with anything commercially available on the market. This can include turning tablets and capsules into a liquid, easier to swallow form, or even mixing up topical creams that you could not readily get otherwise.
Sterile Compounding
Compounding can be either sterile or non-sterile, depending on the medication, how the medication is taken, and the facility making the compounded medication.
The word sterile means free of all contaminants, microorganisms, and particles. If a medication is meant to be administered by an IV line, it must be sterile.
Facilities that sterile compound must meet a strict list of requirements and standards covering everything from the airflow of the room to what type of protective gear the pharmacists and technicians must wear.
Examples of pharmacies that commonly sterile compound are hospitals’ inpatient pharmacies and home infusion pharmacies.
Non-Sterile Compounding
Non-sterile compounding does not need to be as strict about the lack of contaminants in the formulation. This does not mean that the compounding may then occur without standards or regulations.
The facility and compounding space must still meet a different set of standards and perform careful, clean techniques while making the medication, but it does not need to follow the same, extensive sterile requirements.
Non-sterile compounded medications can include those that are meant to be taken by mouth or applied on the skin. This is because through these routes, our bodies are able to use our own immune systems to fight and filter through any particles that might be in the compound.
Think of it this way: the foods and pills that we swallow are not sterile, so it is perfectly ok if a compounded liquid medication isn’t either. Many pharmacies with the proper equipment can non-sterile compound, including your local neighborhood pharmacy.
Who Could Benefit From Non-Sterile Compounding?
Non-sterile compounding through local community pharmacies is a great option for many patients with special needs, including:
Patients that are unable to swallow pills and need to take it in another form
Patients that are prescribed formulations that aren’t readily available like:
Magic mouthwash
Riley's butt cream
Combining multiple medications into one easier to take form
Patients that need their medication flavored to enhance the taste of it
Pets
Patients with trouble swallowing
Why Compound?
Non-sterile compounding is an easy and convenient way for patients to receive medications that they might not otherwise be able to take. Not only does this make it more likely that patients will take their necessary medications more consistently, but it also opens doors to more treatment options for patients and allows pharmacies to help create a more personalized care plan.