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The Physician's Dilemma A
dilemma that a physician regularly faces is the situation where a drug
of choice for a patient becomes unavailable or the product is discontinued.
Pharmaceutical companies may stop making products for which there is limited
demand, because decreased utilization means declining manufacturer profits.
And limited demand is likely to occur when a newer and, sometimes more
effective, medicine becomes available. However some patients may respond
better to a discontinued medicine than to its newer counterpart.
When the most appropriate medication is no longer available, the physician may feel the only recourse is to prescribe a less familiar or less effective drug, or decline to prescribe a medication. However, there is another option. The physician can contact our pharmacist, who is specially trained in the art of extemporaneous compounding, and request that unavailable medication. Using pharmaceutical-grade chemicals and equipment, which are not found in most pharmacies, we can usually compound a very similar (or perhaps superior!) preparation. This is a regular occurrence in our pharmacy. We will work together with you and your patients to find the best solution for each medication problem. |