| Q. Where
is the pharmacy located?
A. 1810 W Gore Blvd., Lawton (4 blocks east
of Sheridan Rd, south side of road) Click here for map
Q. What are your pharmacy hours?
A. The pharmacy is open 9:00am to 6:00pm,
Monday through Friday and 9:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday.
Q. Do you accept insurance?
A. Yes, we accept most major insurance plans
with the same copay as mass retail stores. We also provide
a free discount card for uninsured customers.
Q. Do you deliver?
A. Yes, we offer FREE in-town delivery.
Q. What if I live out of town? Do
you mail prescriptions?
A. We mail prescriptions daily using FedEx,
DHL and the US Postal Service.
Q. What is compounding?
A. Pharmacy compounding is the art and science
of preparing customized medications for patients. Its practice
dates back to the origins of pharmacy; yet, compounding’s
presence throughout the pharmacy profession has changed over
the years. In the 1930s and 1940s, approximately 60 percent
of all medications were compounded. With the advent of drug
manufacturing in the 1950s and 1960s, compounded rapidly declined.
The pharmacist’s role as a preparer of medications quickly
changed to that of a dispenser of manufactured dosage forms.
Within the last two decades, though, compounding has experienced
resurgence, as modern technology and innovative techniques
and research have allowed more pharmacists to customize medications
to meet specific patient needs. Today, an estimated one percent
of all prescriptions are compounded daily by pharmacists working
closely with physicians and their patients.
Q. How does compounding benefit me?
A. There are several reasons why pharmacists
compound prescription medications. The most important one
is what the medical community calls “patient non-compliance.”
Many patients are allergic to preservatives or dyes, or are
sensitive to standard drug strengths. With a physician’s
consent, a compounding pharmacist can change the strength
of a medication, alter its form to make it easier for the
patient to ingest, or add flavor to make it more pleasant.
The pharmacist also can prepare the medication using several
unique delivery systems, such a sublingual troche or lozenge
or a transdermal gel. Or, for those patients who are having
a difficult time swallowing a capsule, a compounding pharmacist
can make a suspension instead.
Q. Can my child (or my elderly parent)
take compounded medication?
A. Yes. Children and the elderly are often
the types of patients who benefit most from compounding. Often,
parents have a tough time getting their children to take medicine
because of the taste. A compounding pharmacist can work directly
with the physician and the patient to select a flavoring agent,
such as tutti frutti or banana cream, that provides both an
appropriate match for the medication’s properties and
the patient’s taste preferences.
Compounding pharmacists also have helped patients who are
experiencing chronic pain. For example, some arthritic patients
cannot take certain medications due to gastrointestinal side
effects. Working with their physician, a compounding pharmacist
can provide them with a topical preparation with the anti-inflammatory
or analgesic their doctor has prescribed for them. Compounded
prescriptions often are used for pain management in hospice
care.
Q. What kinds of prescriptions can
be compounded?
A. Almost any kind. Compounded prescriptions
are ideal for any patient requiring unique dosages and/or
delivery devices, which can take the form of solutions, suppositories,
sprays, oral rinses, lollipops and even as transdermal sticks.
Compounding applications can include: Bio-Identical Hormone
Replacement Therapy, Veterinary, Hospice, Pediatric, Dental,
Ear, Nasal, Dermatology, Medication Flavoring, Chronic Pain
Management, Sports Medicine, Wound Therapy, Podiatry and Gastroenterology.
Q. Does Compounding require a prescription?
A. Yes, most compounds do require a prescription.
Q. How do I get my physician to
write a compound prescription for me?
A. Contact your physician to see if he or
she is familiar with the compound you are interested in. If
they are familiar with the medication and write you a prescription,
bring it to Carel’s Pharmacy & Compounding Center
and we will compound it for you. If they are not familiar
with the compound, you can contact the compounding pharmacist
at Carel’s Pharmacy & Compounding Center and they
will send information to your physician on the medication.
Q. Does insurance cover compounding?
A. This varies by insurer. Many major plans
do cover compounding but there is some that do not. An increasing
number of insurance companies are adding compounding to their
formularies. |
