Ways Compounding May Support Women’s Health

Women’s health needs can vary from person to person, and sometimes standard medications do not fit every patient’s needs. A medication may not come in the right strength, may contain an ingredient someone cannot tolerate, or may only be available in a form that is difficult to use. In situations like these, compounding may be an option.

Compounding is when a pharmacist prepares a medication specifically for an individual patient based on a prescription from a healthcare provider. The strength, dosage form, or certain ingredients may be adjusted to better meet that patient’s needs.

Here are several women’s health compounding options patients may not know about.

1. Customized Hormone Medications

Hormones help control many functions in the body, including menstrual cycles, reproduction, sleep, mood, bone health, and symptoms of menopause.

Depending on a patient’s needs and their healthcare provider’s recommendation, compounded hormone medications may include:

• Estradiol – a form of estrogen
• Estriol – another form of estrogen
• Progesterone – a hormone involved in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy
• Testosterone – a hormone found in both women and men that can affect sexual function, muscle, bone health, and other body functions.

Compounded hormones should not automatically be considered safer, more natural, or more effective than FDA-approved hormone medications. Organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) generally recommend FDA-approved hormone therapy when an appropriate product is available. Compounding may be considered when a patient has a specific need that available manufactured medications cannot meet.

2. Different Strengths and Medication Forms

Sometimes the medication itself is appropriate, but the available strength or form is not. For example, a patient may have trouble swallowing a capsule or may need medication applied directly to a particular area. Depending on the medication and prescription, a compounding pharmacy may be able to prepare medications as:

• Capsules
• Liquids
• Creams
• Gels or ointments
• Vaginal preparations
• Suppositories

A suppository is a medication placed inside the body, such as in the vagina, where it dissolves or melts and releases the medication. Having different dosage forms can make treatment easier to use and better suited to an individual patient.

3. Vaginal and Vulvar Medications

Some women experience symptoms involving the vagina or vulva that may require medication applied directly to the affected area. Depending on the condition and prescription, compounded options may include:

• Vaginal creams
• Vaginal suppositories
• Vulvar creams
• Ointments

A healthcare provider and pharmacist can help determine whether an FDA-approved medication or a compounded preparation is the more appropriate choice.

4. Removing Ingredients a Patient Cannot Tolerate

Medications contain both active and inactive ingredients. Inactive ingredients can include dyes, oils, fillers, or preservatives. They do not provide the medication’s main effect, but some patients may be allergic or sensitive to them.

For example, ACOG notes that some commercially available progesterone products contain peanut oil. If a patient with a peanut allergy needs progesterone, a healthcare provider may consider a compounded preparation that does not contain peanut oil.

This is one of the traditional reasons for compounding: creating a medication for a patient whose needs cannot be met by the standard manufactured product.

When Might Compounding Be Worth Discussing?

Compounding is not necessarily the best choice for every patient or medication. However, it may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider if:

• You are allergic or sensitive to an ingredient in a manufactured medication.
• The strength you need is not commercially available.
• You have difficulty swallowing or using the available form.
• Your healthcare provider believes a different dosage form would be more appropriate.
• An FDA-approved medication cannot appropriately meet your individual needs.

Your pharmacist and healthcare provider can help determine whether an FDA-approved product is available or whether compounding may be appropriate.

One Important Thing to Know

Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

FDA-approved medications go through a formal review process for safety, effectiveness, manufacturing, and quality before they reach the market. Individual compounded medications do not go through that same FDA approval process before being dispensed.

That does not mean compounded medications do not have an important role in healthcare. They may be valuable when a patient has a specific medical need that cannot be met by an available FDA-approved product.

It simply means compounding should be used thoughtfully and for an appropriate patient-specific reason.

This is especially important with hormone therapy. Patients should be cautious of claims suggesting that compounded hormones are automatically safer, more natural, or better than FDA-approved hormone treatments.

Learn more at:

https://www.skippackpharmacy.com/womenshealth/

Written by:

Ruhi Patel

Resources

• U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) – Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – Compounded Bioidentical Menopausal Hormone Therapy
• The Menopause Society – Hormone Therapy

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Medication and treatment decisions should be made with a qualified healthcare professional based on each patient’s individual medical history and needs.