What Is a Veterinary Compounding Pharmacy?

Veterinarians prescribe everything daily, from antibiotics and parasite preventatives to anti-seizure medications. But what happens if none of the available drug options are appropriate for your pet’s unique condition or if your pet just won’t take pills?

In this case, your veterinarian may choose a compounded medication to ensure that your furry family member gets the medication she needs.

Here’s what you need to know about veterinary compounding pharmacies.

What Is a Compounded Medication?

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), drug compounding is the process of combining, mixing, or altering ingredients “to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient.” This means that a compounded drug is a customized form of a human or animal drug.

Are Compounded Drugs FDA-Approved?

Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.

They’re created by either a veterinarian or a licensed pharmacist who has received a prescription from the veterinarian on an individual basis to best suit a patient’s particular needs.

Compounded drugs are offered by prescription only and must be filled by a pharmacist or veterinarian. They are not the same as generic drugs, which are FDA-approved.

Why Do Some Pets Need Medications from a Veterinary Compounding Pharmacy?

Compounded medications are prescribed if there’s a specific reason your pet’s health can’t be managed by an FDA-approved drug, such as:

• If your pet has trouble taking pills in capsule form

• The dosage strength is not commercially available

• Your pet is allergic to an ingredient in the FDA-approved medication

For example, maybe your cat needs a daily pill to treat hyperthyroidism but rejects tablets that are hidden in their food or given by mouth. Or perhaps a dog requires anti-seizure medication, but their required dose isn’t available in tablet form. Compounding pharmacies can customize a medication into specific doses and formulations that are easier to administer.

Here are some of the reasons why veterinary drugs are compounded:

• To create a medication that has been discontinued or is no longer commercially produced

• To mix one or more drugs together for easier administration

• To customize the strength of the medication

• To change the drug’s route of administration

It’s best to discuss compounding options with your veterinarian, who understands your pet’s unique needs and can recommend the best course of treatment for your pet.

Forms of Compounded Medications for Pets

The most common forms of compounded drugs used in veterinary medicine include transdermal gels, capsules, flavored suspensions (oral liquids), and tablets and chews.

Transdermal Medication

Transdermal medication is a topical treatment that is made by suspending the active ingredient of a medication in a gel or cream.

The medication is administered by rubbing a measured amount onto a hairless area of the pet’s body, such as the inner ear, where the active ingredient is then absorbed.

This type of compounded medication is typically chosen for pets that refuse to take pills.

Oral Capsules

Oral capsules are used to combine several ingredients or to create a more precise dose that is better suited for small pets.

The capsule itself may be easier for certain pets to swallow, compared to other types of medications.

Oral Liquids (Solutions and Suspensions)

Oral liquids can be compounded to create a more precise dose better suited for small pets or help with palatability by adding flavor enhancers.

Popular flavor enhancers used in oral liquids for pets include beef, chicken, fish, peanut butter, and banana.

Compounded Tablets and Chews

Tablets are great for pets that have difficulty swallowing pills or capsules.

Soft chews, on the other hand, are easier to administer than pills because they have more of a treat-like texture.

Tablets and chews can also come in flavored forms, like Medi-Melts, which are designed to dissolve on a pet’s tongue.

What Types of Conditions Can Compounded Medications Treat?

Many medications are available in compounded form. Here are some of the most commonly compounded drugs and what they treat.

Methimazole

Methimazole is commonly used to treat hyperthyroidism in cats (an overactive thyroid gland).

Unless a cat is treated with radioiodine therapy or surgery, treatment for hyperthyroidism is typically a lifelong effort. Therefore, many pet parents find that compounded transdermal creams or oral liquids are easier to administer compared to oral tablets.

Metronidazole

Metronidazole is an antibiotic used for bacterial and parasitic infections, particularly those within the GI and reproductive tracts.

Many pets reject metronidazole pills due to their bitter taste; therefore, this drug is frequently compounded into capsules, flavored liquids, or flavored chews.

Prednisolone

Prednisolone is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat a variety of pet conditions, including autoimmune disorders and allergies.

Many of the diseases requiring prednisolone treatment are chronic in nature, so compounding may allow for easier long-term dosing, particularly in cats.

Cisapride

Cisapride is used to treat gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders in dogs and cats.

GI motility disorders are conditions where the muscles or nerves of the digestive tract move food through the digestive tract abnormally (either too slowly or too quickly).

Compounded forms of this drug may include an oral capsule, an oral suspension, and transdermal forms.