Whether you’re already on prescription medication or just beginning to take one or more, you may be under the impression that your only option for obtaining it is to go to your local standard pharmacy and wait to be handed a bottle of pills. For many, this is what they feel is the traditional way a pharmacy operates and what is considered normal when receiving medications. But sometimes these medications have side effects. Sometimes these side effects are tolerable, but other times they may not be, such as if you begin having allergic reactions to them. If you find that you are having side effects that you cannot deal with, or are even potentially life threatening, you may wonder what to do if you’ve got medication you need but cannot take.
Luckily for you, there’s an option. You can seek out a pharmacy that specializes in compounding medications. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it was, at one time, the general standard for receiving medications at the local drug store. A pharmacist would create a compound of your order right there in the store, tailored to suit your specific needs. This practice is still done today, though on a much smaller scale thanks to the rise of large commercial pharmaceutical companies.
If you’ve never used this sort of service before, you probably do not know exactly what sort of mixture you need in your compounded medication. A first step would be to try to figure out what is causing whatever problem you’re experiencing—let’s go with allergic reactions. In this case it is usually one of two things: the filler materials that bind the pill together, or any dyes that may have been used.
Next you would want to locate the nearest pharmacy that deals in compounding medications and speak with the pharmacist. Explain what your problem is and ask what they suggest might work for you. Eventually, he or she will come up with a mixture that they feel may be appropriate. Test out the new medication once you receive it. If you continue to experience the same problems, return to the pharmacy and discuss new options with them. Your pharmacist will again create a mixture for you, probably excluding substances used previously and will again provide you with the new medication. Test it out. If all is well and you’re no longer experiencing negative symptoms, be sure to let the pharmacist know so that they can keep a record of the exact mixture of ingredients they used for your medication. If you’re still having problems, it may be time to consult your physician, because there is always the possibility that you are allergic to the active ingredient itself, in which case you will need an entirely different prescription for another drug. But always remember that a compounding pharmacy is out there to help you as best as they possibly can.
