What is the primary purpose of pharmaceutical compounding?

The primary purpose of pharmaceutical compounding is to prepare customized medications to meet specific patient needs. Compounding allows pharmacists to create unique formulations tailored to individual patients who may have specific requirements, such as allergies to certain ingredients, difficulty swallowing solid pills, or the need for a specific dosage that is not commercially available. This patient-centered approach ensures that individuals receive medications that are more effective and appropriate for their unique health circumstances.

While producing mass quantities of medications may be necessary for some manufacturing processes, it is not the focus of compounding, which emphasizes personalization. Enhancing the efficacy of standard medications can be an indirect outcome of compounding, but it is not the primary goal, as the main focus remains on meeting the individual needs of patients. Lastly, compounding does not aim to eliminate the need for prescription drugs; rather, it allows for adjustments to existing prescriptions to better serve the patient's needs.