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My compounding path truly began when my dad and I attended a PCCA conference in Sydney in 2019. The speakers there inspired me, especially a veterinary compounding presentation by PCCA Vice President of Creative Development Chris Simmons, RPh. We came back from Sydney and set about installing a small lab in our pharmacy. Our compounding took off, and we are now in a new pharmacy with a bigger compounding lab employing two technicians and a pharmacist.
We stay engaged with PCCA because of the clinical support, their innovative base technology and their top-notch education. I have been working my way through an HRT (hormone replacement therapy) conference I attended remotely due to our interest in helping more patients. We already have a few HRT patients enrolled now and I am excited for our future.
Many of our breakthrough successes have involved animals struggling with dosage forms and flavors. For a lot of us, pets are part of the family, but each animal has individual needs. Our pet patients range from goldfish to elephants, but we mostly compound for dogs and cats, and a few troublesome rabbits.
For example, a pet owner was struggling to give medicine to her rabbit, who was put off by the taste of the medication. Her rabbit kept pulling away each time, distressing the owner. Using the PCCA Flavor Guide, we formulated a range of flavors for the rabbit to try. After finding an agreeable flavor, the rabbit is no longer hesitant, and the owner no longer feels stressed giving the medication to her furry friend.
We have an open window compounding lab and our pharmacist and intern speak to physiotherapists in our area about pain options available for patients — specifically, preparations that use Ketoprofen USP, PCCA Special Micronized in Lipoderm®. We also provide lunches at general practice clinics to discuss trends in compounding and the legalities. And we visit area veterinarians to discuss and explain what we can do for their animal patients.
Compounding is very interesting. It definitely creates another avenue to help patients. It has also added another dimension to our business. I believe compounding is a growth area for community pharmacies and the work is very rewarding.