Why I Love My Great GP

Hello, my name is Cindy. I live in the suburbs of Sydney with my family. Although I would occasionally visit the doctor when I was feeling too good or if one of the children had a cold. However, my whole view on doctors changed when I found a lump on breast last year. I went to my GP in a panic, but he was a real sweetie. He calmed me down and explained he would refer me for a further investigation. Thankfully, they caught my cancer early and after some treatment, I made a full recovery. Since this close call, I have taken a keen interest in everything health related.

What You Need to Know About a Compounding Pharmacy

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A compounding pharmacy can be a great choice for anyone who needs a medication made to certain specifications; for example, if you have a hard time swallowing pills, a compounding pharmacy can create the same medication in syrup form. This type of pharmacist may also be able to create medications without certain ingredients to which you're allergic, such as dyes or artificial sweeteners.

If you need a compounding pharmacy for your medications, note a few factors to consider about their services so you know what they can, and cannot, do for you.

A compounding pharmacy can't change your prescription

A compounding pharmacist may make a medication to certain specifications, or change its physical form, but they can't change your prescription or medications outright. They still need to follow a doctor's prescription when it comes to the medication itself. Note, however, that changing a medication's form may change the needed dosage, as one form may not be as concentrated as another.

Often, a pharmacist may need to consult with your doctor in order to receive a new prescription or other instructions. This doesn't mean that a compounding pharmacist can give you a new medication if one doesn't seem to work, or that he or she will offer a new prescription so that you can avoid certain side effects from your medicines. If you're worried about the medication itself and feel you should try something different, talk to you doctor and not the pharmacist.

Using a compounding pharmacy can still mean medicine interaction

Changing the nature of a medicine doesn't mean that it now won't interact with another medicine. A syrup may be easier to swallow than a pill and it may be weaker so that you need to take more of it, as an example, but the chemistry of the medicine is still basically the same. Always inform any doctor or emergency responder of all your medications, no matter their form.

Different forms of medicines need different storage

Pills, syrups, powders you dissolve in water, and all forms of medicine will all need different storage. If you use a compounding pharmacy to go from one form to another, be sure you ask about this different storage method and what's now required. Improper storage of medicines can mean having the chemicals break down so that they're no longer effective, or having them become outright toxic. Check the label or ask the pharmacist how to store your new medicine before bringing it home, to ensure your safety and your good health.

To learn more about your medications, contact local compounding services. 

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31 May 2017