Showing posts with label Confused About Compounding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Confused About Compounding. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Confused About Compounding?--in the Vet World

May 10, 2012

Tips on avoiding illegal imposters of brand-name drugs.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial
Dr. April Knudson is an equine specialist with Merial Veterinary Services. She has a special interest in sport horse lameness and internal medicine. She holds a doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of California-Davis. Below, she answers a question about compounded equine drugs.
Q. Some of my friends at the barn were talking about compounded drugs and whether or not they are safe to use. What are they? Should I ever use them?
A. I’m glad you asked that question because the equine drug marketplace can be overwhelming. There are websites offering drugs for sale, products being sold at equine events around the country and opinions available from everyone who has ever owned a horse. It’s really important to sort through all of the information and consult with your veterinarian, if needed, before giving anything to your horse.
First, let’s clear up any confusion about what is meant by a “compounded drug.”
The American Association of Equine Practitioners defines a compounded drug as one that is created by manipulating an existing U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug.¹ Examples include crushing a tablet to make a paste or gel or adding a flavor to a drug to make it more palatable.²
For a drug to be legally compounded:
  • It must be compounded by a licensed veterinarian or pharmacist for a single horse to meet a specific need,²
  • The horse owner must have a valid client-patient relationship with the prescribing veterinarian,²
  • There must be no FDA-approved, commercially available drug that will appropriately treat the patient,¹ and
  • The product must be made from an FDA-approved commercially available drug.¹
While the use of legally compounded drugs is recognized as an occasional necessity in equine health care, AAEP cautions veterinarians to “limit the use of compounded drugs to unique needs in specific patients.” Because of the time and financial investment required to bring a new equine drug to the marketplace, there are times when a legally compounded medication could be a veterinarian’s only option.
Unfortunately, some FDA-approved equine drugs are illegally manufactured, then advertised and/or sold to horse owners who are led to believe that they are the same as those legitimately on the market. These drugs have not been through the stringent FDA approval process, so they have not been demonstrated to be safe or effective for their intended use.³ Illegal manufacturers often make claims about how well the drugs work, but are not required to prove them. Consider these claims carefully and, if in doubt, ask the manufacturer for proof that the product works and that the manufacturer can back up its claims.