The Anciet Art of Compounding

The Ancient Art of Compounding

Far from being a lost art, compounding or the mixing of two or more agents together, has been around it seems since man began to experiment with his surroundings in order to better understand the world around us.

“The art of pharmaceutical compounding began with the birth of the first humans. All ancient hunter-gatherer societies had some knowledge of the medicinal properties of the animals, plants, molds, fungus and bacteria as well as inorganic minerals within their environment.” (Wikepedia 2008)

The pharmaceutical science of compounding medicines dates back to biblical times and earlier. Indeed, for more than 2000 years, those who practiced the apothecary’s art have been preparing medicines to meet the specific and unique needs of individual patients.

Many modern preparations found on the shelf today owe their origins to the apothecary who originally compounded them for a particular patient.

From alchemy and apothecary to modern pharmacist, the tradition continues and by virtue of extensive training and stringent registration requirements of pharmacy boards, each pharmacist is required to understand and be able to compound medicines when needed to meet the specific needs of the patient that cannot be achieved through the use of proprietary medicines.

In modern times, the art of compounding has widened to include many complex admixtures of drugs for use in specialised situations such as the intravenous feeding of critically ill patients or chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer.

‘The pharmacist by virtue of his training in the pharmaceutical sciences and his special knowledge of the properties of drugs, is legally required to prepare medicines of accurate composition which meet the highest technical and professional standards.’ (Martindale: Pharmaceutical Handbook: 18th edn)

The ancient art of compounding dating back further than Galen, the ‘father of pharmacy’, is very much alive. It sill requires that ingredients are checked for compatibility, the best formulation and method for preparing is found, and remains well within the scope of the experienced pharmacist.