Written by: Adam Soloway, PharmD. Candidate (University of Georgia, College of Pharmacy)
This week is National Public Health week, and as we slowly return to the normalcy, we were all
once so blissfully accustomed to, we can’t neglect all the hard work healthcare workers have put
into keeping the public healthy. These past two years were undoubtedly some of the most
challenging years we all have had in recent memory, but this week we want to highlight the
resiliency of our hardworking healthcare workers in the compounding field.
During COVID-19, compounding pharmacies stepped up in a big way to provide essential
medications and materials to help mitigate the ongoing public health crisis. With runs on
certain medications like hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, asthma inhalers, and even hand
sanitizers. In order to fulfill the public’s need for these necessary medications, compounding
pharmacies had to essentially take on a new role of making these products where traditionally,
only FDA approved manufacturers were allowed. With increased demand, certain FDA
limitations on what a compounding pharmacy could make were temporarily lifted, and in this
emergency setting, we saw pharmacies around the country pivot from their usually day-to-day
operations to help manufacture these essential products.
With the demand for specialized compounded medications expected to increase by 50% by
2027, pharmacies are constantly expanding their capabilities to serve vulnerable populations
such as our senior citizens. In a society where we are living longer, the size of our geriatric
population is expected to continue to rise, so healthcare must step up to manage our aging
populous. The challenge with this is that traditional medications may not be suitable for people
who have difficulties either remembering to take or often times have difficulties taking
pills/capsules. In response, compounding pharmacies are expanding their roles and enhancing
their products specifically for these types of patients. From transdermal creams to medicated
lollipops, pharmacies are steadily increasing their capacity to create medications that will aid in
patients adhering to their regimens. So as the population ages, we are constantly adapting to
better serve a community that has traditionally been neglected.
So as we celebrate this week, let’s remember the sacrifices we all had to make in order to
protect the health of the public and look forward to serving our communities in the future.
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Medical Disclaimer This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or take the place of such information or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Innovation Compounding, Inc. nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any medication, nutritional supplement, diet, or health regimen. Innovation Compounding does not make or intend to make any claims to efficacy or safety of compounded products for specific conditions or disease states, as compounded products are not FDA-approved for these conditions.
