The Growing Challenges Of Drug Shortages
More than 49% of American adults use prescription drugs to manage pain, reduce symptoms, or help with recovery. Many of these drugs are essential medications that are in high demand. The high demand, logistics issues, and low ingredient supply can lead to ongoing drug shortages. Supply challenges mean pharmacies struggle to dispense medication and must spend more time sourcing or coming up with alternatives. Hospitals and patients cannot follow through with treatment, worsening health outcomes. To address supply challenges, pharmacies are turning to compounding. Formulating essential medication alternatives may be the key to addressing shortages pharmacies and patients face daily.
What's behind these drug shortages?
There is a record high of 323 drug shortages in the US, with more than half of these shortages lasting over 2 years. Pain medication, chemotherapy drugs, and weight loss medications like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are some of the top ongoing shortages. Along with high demand, supply chain disruptions, manufacturing issues, regulatory challenges, and economic factors all play a role. Raw material shortages and delays in approvals slow production. Some essential drugs are no longer produced as large manufacturers are discouraged due to low-profit margins. Pharmacies are still committed to serving patients and must derive creative ways to support long-term health needs.
Compounding takes matters into your own hands
Pharmacists are well aware of compounding and the many benefits of the practice. Compounding is the process of creating custom drugs to meet the individual needs of patients. Pharmacists are not only knowledgeable on prescription drugs but can be trained to recreate drugs using raw ingredients. Compounders formulate medications by combining, mixing, or altering ingredients to create a tailored solution. Some combine multiple prescription drugs into a single-use form. With this skill, pharmacies can create essential medications or source compounded solutions from compounders to serve patients. Pharmacies should see compounding as a viable solution to the supply challenges faced today.
Benefits of compounding
Compounding is sometimes seen as a lost art, as mass-produced drugs are easy to dispense and meet the needs of most patients. Yet, there is significant value in providing compounded medicines to patients. This practice is essential for patients who require unique dosages that are no longer on the market or allergen-free alternatives. Compounders can change the form of a drug from pill to liquid, topical, gel capsule, or other special form. This benefits patients who need specialized delivery forms that mass-produced drugs do not offer. From a logistical standpoint, if commercially manufactured drugs are in short supply, compounders fill the gap by creating equivalent formulas with stable active ingredients. With compounding, pharmacies and patients have more control over supply and health outcomes.
Typical compounding applications
Compounders have a positive impact on the healthcare sector at all levels. Hospitals can guide patients to facilities that are more likely to supply patients with alternatives that can continue treatment. Sterile compounding facilities can also prepare critical injectables and IV medications that hospitals rely on. At the pharmaceutical level, patients are more likely to visit institutions that provide compounding. Pharmacies can also supply specialty medicine. Compounders do not need to use similar ingredient suppliers as mass-produced companies. Pharmacies can even increase income by providing specialty drugs in pain management, hormones, dermatology, and other niche areas in forms to support patients, young and old.
Navigating compliance and quality assurance
Providing compounded solutions is no small feat. Pharmacies must have trained staff and facilities to perform compounding safely. The process is governed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) to ensure safety, quality, and compliance. These bodies provide guidelines that cover factors such as where ingredients will be sourced, sterility testing, and preventing contamination. If compounding is necessary on a larger scale, there are strict guidelines on the use of active pharmaceutical ingredients. These compounding facilities follow even more stringent guidelines for bulk drug substances used in compounding. Following these guidelines ensures pharmacies can safely help with supply issues impacting patients today.
Short supply requires strong solutions
With an aging population and the increase in certain health conditions, essential medication will continue to be in high demand. Supply, unfortunately, cannot keep up with the needs of patients and hospitals. Compounding provides a reliable, patient-centric solution. Pharmacies can take ownership of the medication process by creating custom solutions or sourcing through compounders. Patients get treatment, and pharmacies provide services while earning higher profit margins through custom medications. Innovation and collaboration will become the future of medication in a world where supply will be an ongoing challenge.
