Compounding: removing the one-size-fits-all dosage approach of Big Pharma

In the days before mass production and Big Pharma, the local pharmacist used to custom-make medicines for patients. Now imagine a world where patients get a daily tailored 18mg dose of a specific drug they require, instead of only the 25mg that's commercially available.

Before pharmaceutical manufacturers started producing drugs in commercial quantities, compounding was the standard means of providing prescription medications. Now the Compounding Pharmacy of South Africa (CPSA) is reintroducing this individually focused service, combining it with the latest medical knowledge and state-of-the-art technology.

“We intimately understand that when it comes to our patients, one size does not fit all, hence the strength, ingredients and dosage form are tailored to each individual,” says Dhivia Naidoo, managing director of CPSA.

CPSA is fulfilling the demand for professional compounding that is increasing as healthcare professionals and patients realise that the limited number of strengths and dosage forms commercially available don’t meet the needs of many patients – and that these patients often have a better response to a customised dosage form that’s “just what the doctor ordered”. This follows a growing international trend – especially in the US, there are now more than 8,000 compounding pharmacies.