Pharmacist wins kudos for his compounding skills

From the Waterloo (Ont.) Record:
When pharmacist Phil Hudson came to Canada from England in 1986, the idea of a pharmacist customizing medications was a novel idea. Twenty years later, not only is his field fully accepted, but the British-trained Hudson was named compounding pharmacist of the year for 2008 by a company called Professional Compounding Centers of America, Canada.

The profession has come full circle. Early apothecaries mixed their own medications to suit a patient's malady. Over time, factory-produced pharmaceuticals became the norm. Today's compounding pharmacists can take basic medications and customize them to better suit a patient's needs and tastes.

"I had a situation (with a patient) I couldn't deal with," Hudson explained. "I came across a compounding pharmacist and called her, in the U.S. She started talking about how to overcome the problem." ...more

Smaller sized pharmacies making comeback in industry

From the Shelby (NC) Star:
For some, the hours of waiting and impersonal service often associated with big name pharmacies leads straight to the door of "mom-and-pop" pharmacies.

The small-operation pharmacies that have been making a comeback offer many of the benefits of larger pharmacy with a lot less of the hassle, said Gary Harden.

Harden has spent years behind the counter and behind the scenes at a number of pharmacies. And now, he's back in Shelby - where he started - and his new pharmacy is ready to serve the community he loves.

Shelby Drug Inc., just across from Shelby staple Alston Bridges Barbecue, has been open for little more than a week.

"We started out one or two prescriptions a day," Harden said. "We're up to about 10 now." ...more

Pharmacy open new compound centre

From the Belleville (Ont.) Intelligencer:
A Belleville pharmacy is "stepping back to the future" by opening a compound centre to produce its own medications that better suit their customers' individualized prescription needs.

Kelly's Guardian Pharmacy is the only pharmacy between Port Hope and Kingston to operate its own compound centre and pharmacy manager Tom Bond said there's been a need for it.

"It's an important addition to our pharmacy because pharmaceutical companies are not always catering to the individual needs of patients," he said. "They mass produce medication in certain dosage forms and strengths, but we're now able to produce our own medication in all different forms from raw materials."

Compounding, he explained, allows doctors to prescribe and the pharmacist to prepare a customized medication that is not available commercially, or to replace an available medication in a different dosage to meet specific patient needs.

For example, a compounding pharmacist can prepare liquid medication for patients who have difficulty swallowing a tablet. He can flavour medication for children or prepare a dye-free or preservative-free dosage form. The pharmacist can adjust the strength of a medication and formulate it in a form that is easier for the patient to take. ...more

US FDA: 'Bio-identical' hormone claims unsupported

This warning has to be considered a negative for compounding pharmacists in general, even if they aren't involved in the "bio-identical" hormone debate.

From Reuters:
U.S. health officials warned seven pharmacy operators on Wednesday that their claims about the safety and effectiveness of "bio-identical" hormones were false, misleading and not supported by medical evidence.

The pharmacies claimed their hormone products were superior to approved menopause therapies and could be used to prevent and treat serious conditions such as Alzheimer's, strokes and cancer, the Food and Drug Administration said.

"FDA is concerned that the claims for safety, effectiveness, and superiority that these pharmacy operations are making mislead patients, as well as doctors and other health care professionals," an agency statement said.

Drugmaker Wyeth, which sells FDA-approved hormone replacement therapy, had petitioned the agency to take action against makers of bio-identical hormones. ...more