Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing personalized medications for patients. Compounded medications are made based on a practitioner’s prescription in which individual ingredients are mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient. At one time, nearly all prescriptions were compounded. With the advent of mass drug manufacturing in the 1950s and ‘60s, compounding rapidly declined. However, the “one-size-fits-all” nature of many mass-produced medications meant that some patients’ needs were not being met. Fortunately, compounding has experienced a resurgence as modern technology and innovative techniques and research have allowed more pharmacists to customize medications to meet specific patient needs. For example, a patient may be allergic to or intolerant of an ingredient commonly found in the commercially manufactured form of a medication, and a compounding pharmacist can leave out the problematic ingredient. A compounding pharmacist can flavor many medications to make it more palatable without compromising the medication’s effectiveness. This is especially handy when dealing with medications for patients who may refuse medication, such as young children, elderly patients, or even pets. The panelists will discuss the journey they have taken in learning to compound cannabis oil, due to the very little guidance that exists in the literature. They will also discuss what they think is the direction compounding is going to take in the next few years; new medication forms, compounding with other medications, availability of higher-quality materials, and more.
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