When most people need a prescription filled, they visit a pharmacy in a drug store or grocery store. However, there are specialized pharmacies, called compounding pharmacies, which formulate drugs on a prescription by prescription basis, unlike mainstream pharmacies that dispense mass-produced drugs. Compounding pharmacies play a very important role in ensuring that people get prescriptions that suit their unique needs. Depending on what type of prescription is being prescribed, visiting a compounding pharmacy may be the best option. Some of the top reasons to visit a compounding pharmacy include:

Medication for Pediatric Patients

When it comes to prescribing medication to young children, getting the dosage right is incredibly important. A dose of medicine that is too large can cause serious side effects, so in many cases, pediatric medications may not be able to be filled properly at a mainstream pharmacy. Luckily, pharmacists at compounding pharmacies are experts at carefully compounding medications for pediatric patients to ensure that they get the exact dosage that they need. At a compounding pharmacy, a pharmacist can also add a variety of flavoring to different medications to help make it easier for kids to swallow medication that may have an unpleasant taste. 

Filling Medications That Have Been Discontinued

Mainstream pharmacies have limited space, so it is not possible for them to stock and store every single type of medication available. If a specific type of medication has very low demand, a pharmacy may discontinue the medication and stop stocking it all together. This is very bad news for a person who may have very good results with a medication that is no longer carried at local pharmacies. Luckily, a good compounding pharmacy has the ability to formulate discontinued medications that are not available at mainstream pharmacies so a person does not have to start taking a new medication that may not work as well.

Formulating Medications Without Certain Ingredients

Mass-produced medications can contain preservatives and dyes that some people are very sensitive to or even allergic to. No one wants to take a medication that has ingredients that can cause adverse reactions, but not taking a medication can lead to health issues. When a person needs to take a certain medication but can't tolerate the dyes or preservatives found in it, visiting a compounding is an excellent solution. Patients can count on a compounding pharmacy to formulate the medication they need without using any dyes or preservatives. 

See if there is a compounding pharmacy near you to learn more.