May 2022 – Original Veterinary Compounding Article by Dr. Anita Roberts
Veterinary Compounding Practice
Veterinary compounding is a booming industry for pharmacies who specialize in compounding.
Owning a veterinary compounding practice can be very challenging and also rewarding for compounding pharmacists who are willing to spend the time and effort required to learn about individualizing medications for animals (companion, recreational, farm, and exotic pets).
Throughout history, veterinarians have typically dispensed and compounded the medications for their practices.
However, this business model has changed in recent years, opening the door for the opportunity to allow pharmacists to become more actively involved in compounding for veterinary patients.
Reasons for Veterinary Compounding
Compounding may be considered essential for a number of different situations:
- When multiple injections would be required in the absence of a compounded product;
- As a result of the rapid changes in managing disease states in veterinary medicine;
- As a solution for the issues associated with the treatment of large numbers of animals requiring multiple drugs within short periods of time;
- To address the cost-prohibitive factors associated with significant amounts of some large-volume parenterals that are required; and
- For use in cases of animal poisonings that require previously prepared antidotes.
When Compounding is Appropriate
- According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, veterinary compounding can be considered a viable option when:
- There are no effective FDA-approved products available;
- Available dosage forms are inappropriate;
- Multiple and concurrent disease states are present;
- An additive therapeutic effect could be obtained from simultaneous administration of two or more products or to minimize side effects;
- Economic realities would preclude treatment with the approved product; or
- Compounding would encourage compliance of dosage and/or therapeutic regimens.
With regards to the inappropriateness of available dosage forms, compounded dosage forms are preferred when specific products are needed due to patient species, age, size, and physiology.
The safety of veterinary staff might be a consideration if it were to be compromised or otherwise reduced without veterinary compounded formularies, specifically when attempting to restrain an animal for dosing, and then especially when the administration of multiple injections can be avoided.
Most FDA-approved prescription drugs are generally for certain species, either food producing or for a large target-population.
However, if pharmaceutical companies do not perceive a sufficiently large market for a veterinary product, then they will not seek FDA approval for that product because of obvious business reasons.
This gap between supply and demand of veterinary medications has opened a door of opportunity in the market, thereby creating a potential market with an increased demand for compounding pharmacists.
There are no FDA-approved products for exotic species due to the limited demand in the market.
There are only limited FDA-approved products for some of the more common species of animals that receive veterinary care.
Veterinarians need patient-specific products, and compounding pharmacists know how to prepare these products; consequently, a team approach has developed to the benefit of the veterinarian, pharmacist, and animal patient.
View the Veterinary Compounding Enrollment Form available for sale to provide to prescribers.