Rather than simply counting out pills or providing the patient with a pre-mixed formula, the pharmacist starts with base drugs and combines or prepares them to best fit the patient’s needs. CompoundingĬompounding is the process a compounding pharmacy uses to create custom medications from base ingredients for patients. We’ll start by defining exactly what compounding and pharmaceutical manufacturing are – the basics. Because of this, we created this primer for patients to help you better understand.īefore we get into the nuances and subtle differences between these two important facets of pharmacology, we have to understand their innate properties. Understanding the difference between compounding and pharmaceutical manufacturing is an important part of that process. They believe patients should understand how their medication is made, where it comes from, how it benefits them, and what risks they may be taking when they use it. Most pharmacists agree that both transparency and patient participation are vital aspects of healthcare. Those differences can cause a significant amount of confusion for patients who are trying to find the best and safest medication with the fewest side effects. In fact, they share more differences they do similarities. Patients with serious illnesses or complex health cases would essentially be left out in the cold or forced to use sub-par solutions.īut, what’s the difference between pharmaceutical compounding and pharmaceutical manufacturing? Here, we explore the similarities and differences between them.ĭespite the fact that both compounding and pharmaceutical manufacturing share many similarities, the two processes are not the same. Both processes focus on the creation and delivery of drugs to treat illnesses without them, many modern medications wouldn’t be available or would only be available in limited formats. In the pharmacy, both compounding and pharmaceutical manufacturing touch every aspect of everything we do each day. Understanding the Difference Between Compounding & Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Differentiation formula sheet