In ancient times, and even today, in some remote parts of the world, people are taking their medicine in its crudest form. People who are sick are taken to a local witch doctor that will produce a concoction of various plant and herbs, which they will have to drink. Some chants and prayer are also in order but we all know that it's the herbal medicine that heals the patient. These gave rise to the expression bitter medicine or bitter pill to swallow because most of the time, the extracts from these plants are bitter.
Making the Medicine Palatable
If older patients can swallow the bitter medicine with their eyes closed in order to get well, children who are sick cannot. Witch doctors try adding sugar to the concoction and it helps a little, but the bitterness is still there. But the addition of sugar is a fine although basic example of compounding drugs in order to be beneficial to a patient. Later compounding process were developed that enable compounding chemist to remove the bitter non-essential ingredients of the medicine so that they no longer have to add sugar in order to make the medicine palatable. This is important especially if the patient is diabetic and sugar in their medicine is harmful.
Making the Medicine Ingestible
No matter how good and effective a drug is, it is still no good unless a patient can swallow it. However, most drugs are manufactured and distributed in solid form. Therefore, a compound chemist is needed in order to turn the medicine from solid to liquid. Patients who have swollen throat or children who cannot swallow whole tablets will benefit on a liquid form of a prescribed medicine. Today, children's vitamins, paracetamol and cough formulas are dispensed in a syrup form. Thanks to the efforts of compound chemist from pharmaceutical companies, these products are widely available today.
To Prevent Allergies
Allergic reactions from a given drug are sometimes not due to the medicine itself but due to a non-essential ingredients contained in the drug. Compound chemist can remove this harmful non-essential ingredient and just give you the active ingredient carried by a neutral medium. An example of this is that some commercial drugs like penicillin have lactose in it. However, some people are lactose-intolerant, that's why some people are allergic to penicillin. However, thanks to compound chemists, you can now take this life saving antibiotic in another lactose-free compound.
Even if a drug has no lactose in it, it might be dispensed as a tablet, capsule or in another form of oral products. These drug compounds use chemically inert binder/filler which protects and enhances the biological potency of the drug. However, commercial drug formulations usually use lactose as excipient or vehicle to carry the drug. Compound pharmacist can concoct a formula for you where the carrier of the drug will be starch if you are allergic to lactose. Because of these, compounding of drugs is very important indeed!
Making the Medicine Palatable
If older patients can swallow the bitter medicine with their eyes closed in order to get well, children who are sick cannot. Witch doctors try adding sugar to the concoction and it helps a little, but the bitterness is still there. But the addition of sugar is a fine although basic example of compounding drugs in order to be beneficial to a patient. Later compounding process were developed that enable compounding chemist to remove the bitter non-essential ingredients of the medicine so that they no longer have to add sugar in order to make the medicine palatable. This is important especially if the patient is diabetic and sugar in their medicine is harmful.
Making the Medicine Ingestible
No matter how good and effective a drug is, it is still no good unless a patient can swallow it. However, most drugs are manufactured and distributed in solid form. Therefore, a compound chemist is needed in order to turn the medicine from solid to liquid. Patients who have swollen throat or children who cannot swallow whole tablets will benefit on a liquid form of a prescribed medicine. Today, children's vitamins, paracetamol and cough formulas are dispensed in a syrup form. Thanks to the efforts of compound chemist from pharmaceutical companies, these products are widely available today.
To Prevent Allergies
Allergic reactions from a given drug are sometimes not due to the medicine itself but due to a non-essential ingredients contained in the drug. Compound chemist can remove this harmful non-essential ingredient and just give you the active ingredient carried by a neutral medium. An example of this is that some commercial drugs like penicillin have lactose in it. However, some people are lactose-intolerant, that's why some people are allergic to penicillin. However, thanks to compound chemists, you can now take this life saving antibiotic in another lactose-free compound.
Even if a drug has no lactose in it, it might be dispensed as a tablet, capsule or in another form of oral products. These drug compounds use chemically inert binder/filler which protects and enhances the biological potency of the drug. However, commercial drug formulations usually use lactose as excipient or vehicle to carry the drug. Compound pharmacist can concoct a formula for you where the carrier of the drug will be starch if you are allergic to lactose. Because of these, compounding of drugs is very important indeed!
SHARE
