It might seem that prescription drugs made by pharmacists in pharmacies are history. Meanwhile, their role in medicine is still invaluable. What is the difference between a drug made in a pharmacy and a ready-made drug?
When the doctor prescribesprescription drugs , i.e.drugs made in the pharmacy ? There are diseases for which it is impossible to find a ready-made medicine. Then the doctor may order the pharmacist to prepare a prescription drug tailored individually to the patient and his ailments. Although they are prescribed less and less frequently, their role in medicine is important.
Prescription drugs: forgotten and priceless
Despite the very dynamic development of the pharmaceutical industry, there are still drugs that are not available as a ready-made form produced industrially, and their use in medicine is indispensable and wide. A pharmacy recipe is then the only chance for therapy. Examples of such preparations are, among others unguenta cum Cignolini (basic ointments in the treatment of psoriasis), Unguentum Wilkinsoni, bromide s alt solutions, Parma rinse or salicylic ointments. Even 1% silver nitrate, which is instilled into the eyes of newborns immediately after birth (the so-called Credé procedure), is performed in a hospital pharmacy, because industrial production is almost impossible due to its short durability. or the concentration of the active substance according to the individual needs of the patient - age, sex or the severity of the disease state. They are often the only way to start treatment, for example in newborns with heart defects. Powders with spironol or spironolactone made in pharmacies are prepared in such situations individually for each child in doses that are not available in industrially manufactured forms. The pharmacy formula also allows for the production of drugs without any preservatives, which is important in the context of the increasing number of allergies in recent years. Starting from eye drops, through ointments and creams, and ending with syrups - the amount of auxiliary substances in drugs made in pharmacies is kept to a minimum. From the patients' point of view, the economic aspect is also important. A prescription drug costs PLN 8.40, which corresponds to 0.5 percent. the amount of the minimum wage. It is a small cost compared to the pricemany ready-made preparations - especially used in dermatological diseases. Therefore, the inclusion of a prescription drug in the treatment guarantees not only safety, but also allows for a significant reduction in the costs of therapy. For these reasons, patients appreciate the preparations made in pharmacies.
ImportantClaudius Galen - Roman physician of Greek origin, born around 130 CE - is considered the father of pharmacy. It was he who first noticed that the effect of the drug depends on the form in which it is administered. He developed methods of preparing tinctures, juices, extracts, infusions, decoctions and ointments that were in force in Europe for 1500 years after his death. At the end of the 12th century, the functions of physician and pharmacist were separated: the former began to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, while the latter took over the production of medicines. Pharmacists were the only drug manufacturers, so they had to develop their skills as medicine progressed. Over time, the pharmacy recipe became more and more complicated, and pharmacists' laboratories sometimes resembled laboratories. Everything changed at the end of the 19th century, when the first pharmaceutical companies began to develop drugs on an industrial scale. From that moment on, the number of ready-made drugs available in pharmacies began to increase rapidly, pushing pharmacy formulas into the background.
How are prescription drugs made?
In order for a pharmacy to prepare a prescription drug, the doctor must write its exact composition on the prescription - qualitative and quantitative. From the moment of receiving such a prescription, the pharmacist has 48 hours to prepare the drug. The exception is when the doctor has placed the annotation "cito" on the prescription - it means that the drug should be taken immediately, because the patient's condition requires it (according to the regulations - in 4 hours). However, it should be remembered that not every pharmacy offers all medications prescription. It is definitely the most difficult to find a pharmacy with a "sterile formula" in which eye drops and drugs with antibiotics can be dispensed. Such a pharmacy must have specialized equipment in the form of a laminar box, which allows to create sterile conditions - thus free of any air contamination (e.g. microbes). Currently, it is not an obligation and due to the considerable cost of installing a "sterile recipe", only a few pharmacies decide to do so. The pharmacist who makes the prescription drug takes full responsibility for its quality, safety and effectiveness. In case of any doubts as to its composition, the doctor contacts the doctor or modifies it as part of his powers, which are specified in a separate regulation of the Minister of He alth. It is the duty of the pharmacistIt is also possible to carefully check the doses of the ingredients of the drug and make sure that their maximum values are not exceeded. Doctors, having at their disposal a constantly growing range of ready-made preparations, use prescription drugs less and less often. Many of them have never de alt with drugs available in pharmacies in their practice and treat them with slight skepticism. Meanwhile, it is the pharmacy recipe that gives the possibility of individualizing the therapy, adjusting it to the patient.
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