In the 1930s and 1940s, approximately 60 percent of all medications were compounded. During the 1950s and 60s, with the advent of manufacturing, compounding declined. The pharmacists's role as a preparer of medications quickly changed to that of a dispenser of manufactured dosage forms. In the 1980s, and especially in the 90s, physicians and patients are again realizing the benefits of preparing customized medications to meet specific patient needs. Today, an estimated 43,000 prescriptions are compounded daily, or one percent of total prescriptions dispensed.
Many patients are allergic to preservatives or dyes, or are sensitive to standard drug strengths.
With a physician's consent, a compounding pharmacist can change the strength of a medication, alter its form to make it easier for the patient to ingest, and add flavor to it to make it more palatable. The pharmacist also can prepare the medication using several unique delivery systems, such as a sublingual troche or lozenge, a lollipop, or a transdermal gel. Or, for those patients who are having a difficult time swallowing a capsule, a compounding pharmacist can make a suspension instead. Often parents have a tough time getting their children to take their medicine because of the taste. A compounding pharmacist can work directly with the physician and the patient to select a flavoring agent, such as vanilla butternut or tutti frutti, that provides both an appropriate match for the medication's properties and the patient's taste preferences.