What is a Compounding Pharmacy?

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We are asked frequently, what is a compounding pharmacy? Well, this is the question that I am going to attempt to answer with this blog. We know, we know, a whole blog article dedicated to the question, what is a compounding pharmacy? You are probably thinking this seems like a topic that would be better left to a social media post? We started with a social media post and because we had so much great information to share, and tend to be a little long winded, we decided on a blog article.

Not your typical pharmacy:

When you think of a pharmacy, the first image that likely crosses your mind is the typical big box retail pharmacy. Mediocre customer service, long waits, and pharmacy personnel running around like their hair is on fire. If you think it looks crazy, trust me it is crazy. It is unfortunate that the practice of pharmacy is more commonly associated with that picture than what the true profession of pharmacy is. Back to our question though, what is a compounding pharmacy… what is Harbor Health and Apothecary?

Handcrafted Personalized Medication:

At Harbor Health and Apothecary, we are invested in providing handcrafted personalized medications. Our team will take an active pharmaceutical ingredient, better known as an API, and transform this API into a formulation (i.e. suspensions, capsules, topical creams, etc.) to fit you specific needs. It is where the art of pharmacy meets the science of pharmacy and the results are amazing!

But wait, why would you need a compounded medication if you can get you medications from Big Box Pharmacy? That is a great question. There will likely be a time in your life that will require you to take a medication that will not be available. This could be due to the drug not currently being manufactured, or a drug shortage. Currently, there are 263 active drug shortages! Just one drug shortage can affect millions of patients. In 2019, over 100 million prescriptions were written for the medication used to treat hypothyroidism. When there is a thyroid hormone medication shortage, it affects millions of people. During a shortage like this, the Harbor Health and Apothecary Team can handcraft medications on drug shortage to meet your specific needs.

Compounding pharmacies help bridge the gap between medications that currently exist and medications that you need but do not exist. Areas like hormone replacement therapies for women and men, dermatology, ophthalmology, fertility, hospice, and many more. Your community compounding pharmacy will help create handcrafted medications that meet your specific needs.

Pet Friendly Pharmacy

The Harbor Health and Apothecary Team love pets and we understand how stressful it is when our pets become ill. Our pets are family so, when they get sick we want to do everything we can to get them better. Sometimes getting our pets better requires medication therapy. The Harbor Health and Apothecary Team will handcraft your pet’s medication to meet your pet’s specific needs. Dog, horse, bird, cat or whatever pet you may have, our compounding medication specialist are your answer to getting your loved one better. Have you ever tried to medicate a cat? Anyone that has, knows how important it is to partner with a compounding pharmacy!

Conclusion:

So, back to our question, what is a COMPOUNDING PHARMACY? It is where the art of pharmacy meets the science of medicine. It is where your medications are handcrafted to meet your needs. It is everything great about old school pharmacy care (relationships, trust, and collaboration) with a focus on the new school twist (technology, quality, and safety). It is focused on your health; the team is focused on you living your healthiest life. Make HARBOR HEALTH AND APOTHECARY your COMMUNITY COMPOUNDING PHARMACY!