It’s the weekend before the July 4th Holiday and am seeing everything around me burning up with a heatwave. My lawn is dying, the trees are struggling, and don’t mention my garden. We’ll see if it survives. On top of that, we are supposed to light fireworks and burn things even more? I think I’ll opt-out.
That is what a patient of mine would like to do, opt out of the burning. She suffers from vulvodynia and experiences burning redness and pain every time she tries to treat the condition using a commercial, manufactured product. The many wetting agents, emulsifiers and preservatives in commercial creams cause her skin to react and burn. She wants the active hormone ingredient, but not with all the “fire-fuel” it is embedded in.
This is where pharmaceutical compounding comes in. We can make a product that uses more natural sources, like cocoa butter, to carry the hormone and that won’t cause her skin to burn. We can make it in a customized strength to match her needs, and we can adjust it as needed.
I had a great chat with her provider who was excited we had options and then spoke with the patient, who, after feeling despondent that a solution could finally be found, sounded a little hopeful.
Moments like this make compounding struggles worth it.
Reuben K. Nielsen, PharmD
MedQuest Pharmacy
North Salt Lake City, UT