Compounding

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a growing practice in pharmacy compounding, in which specialized pharmacists prepare customized medications for patients, by prescription order, when a practitioner determines that an off-the-shelf medication is not appropriate for the patient. HRT is most often prescribed to ease the symptoms of menopause, but it also can be used to treat a variety of conditions that women of all ages may experience, including:

These conditions affect millions of women. As the number of women seeking hormone-related treatment has grown, so has the mass production of pills, patches and creams by the drug industry. However, each woman’s body is different and has its own unique needs, but commercially manufactured products tend to be “one-size-fits-all,” and do not always account for the differences between individuals.

Working closely with a woman and her healthcare provider, a compounding pharmacist can help a woman start and maintain a hormone replacement regimen that brings her hormones back into balance and closely mimics what her body has been doing naturally for years. With a healthcare provider’s prescription, the pharmacist can prepare hormones in a variety of strengths and dosage forms, including capsules, suppositories, topical or vaginal creams, gels, and foams, sublingual drops or troches.

Once the therapy is begun, the pharmacist will continue to work with the woman and her prescriber to make sure the HRT is working correctly, adjusting the dosage if necessary, ensuring that the medication is just right for her body.