CONVENIENT PICKUP LOCATIONS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
About Us
ABOUT ECOMPOUNDING CHEMIST
Trusted Compounding Pharmacy in Australia
eCompounding Chemist is a compounding service that was founded in 2015, by pharmacist Shadi Ibrahim (B Pharm), in Adelaide, South Australia.
Shadi has been a practising pharmacist for 17 years, and he is a member of both the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) and the Professional Compounding Chemists of Australia (PCCA).
WHY WAS ECOMPOUNDING CHEMIST FOUNDED?
Australians are able to access a vast – and ever-increasing – array of commercially available prescription pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products. The availability of these products is one of the reasons why Australians enjoy such relative good health, including one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
Unfortunately, some people find that mass-produced, ‘one-size-fits-all’ products – the types of products you see on the shelves of retail pharmacies and supermarkets – don’t always adequately address their specific, individual healthcare needs or don’t do so in a way that’s sufficiently convenient or acceptable to them. The eCompounding Chemist was founded to help address this problem.
WE CAN SHIP ANYWHERE IN AUSTRALIA IN 2 DAYS OR LESS
Phone: 1300 790 139
WE UNDERSTAND THAT MASS-PRODUCED PRODUCTS ARE NOT ALWAYS PERFECTLY SUITED TO THE INDIVIDUAL
There are numerous possible reasons why you might not be completely satisfied with a commercially available healthcare product that you have been prescribed or recommended. For example, the product:
May not completely relieve the symptoms that it’s intended to treat;
May appear to cause new symptoms or side effects;
May be difficult or unpleasant to swallow (e.g. due its size or taste), difficult, irritating or unpleasant to apply (e.g. to skin) or simply inconvenient to use (e.g. due to the dosing schedule, or the way the treatment needs to be taken or administered);
May contain one or more ingredients that you are allergic to (e.g. you may be allergic to a specific colouring agent, preservative or ‘filler’);
May contain one or more ingredients that your doctor believes might interact with other medications you are taking;
May contain one or more ingredients that you would prefer to avoid because you have a specific dietary restriction or religious belief (e.g. you might require or prefer a gluten-free, kosher or halal alternative);
May not be available in a formulation that enables the desired dose of active treatment to be easily taken or administered (e.g. you might need a 5 mg dose of a particular drug, but only be able to purchase pills or capsules that contain a 10 mg dose).
There may also be times when the desired product – or the desired formulation of a product – is simply difficult to find or not commercially available in Australia.
What is Compounding
‘Compounding’ is the preparation of a custom-made treatment or other healthcare product – one that has been specifically formulated to meet the identified need(s) and preferences of a single, specific individual (either human or animal). The preparation of a compounded product is often the most practical solution when an appropriate alternative is not commercially available or when an individual is not 100% satisfied with the commercially available option(s).
There are numerous potential ways in which compounded products may be formulated. For example, a compounding pharmacist may be asked to produce:
Tablets, capsules or dissolvable lozenges;
Liquid formulations, such as solutions, suspensions, emulsions, mixtures,
elixirs or tinctures;
Topical preparations, such as creams, ointments, lotions, gels, moisturisers, sprays (including nasal sprays) or eye drops;
Sublingual (under-the-tongue) preparations, such as sprays or drops;
Patch medications;
Powders;
Mouthwashes;
Suppositories or pessaries;
Treatments for intravenous infusion or injection.
Sometimes, compounding is as simple as mixing a crushed tablet or the contents of a capsule in water, to form a solution or suspension. Other times, it might involve the addition or removal of specific ingredients.
If you have a specific problem or concern regarding a health care product that has been prescribed or recommended for your pet, and you think eCompounding Chemist might be able to help, contact us now.
ECOMPOUNDING CHEMIST IS HERE TO HELP
The eCompounding Chemist service is a dedicated compounding service intended to help customers find possible solutions to the types of problems that have been listed above.
Why Choose eCompounding Chemist for your compounding needs
THIS MEANS COMPOUNDING IS ALL WE DO.
Our highly trained pharmacists strive to prepare compounded products that are not only effective and well-tolerated, but which also best suit each customer’s individual needs, circumstances and personal preferences.
One way we do this is by working in close consultation with each customer, as well as his or her doctor (if possible), to identify what specific problems or concerns need to be addressed and whether the preparation of an appropriately customised compounded product might be a potentially helpful solution.
We also try to adopt a holistic approach whenever possible. This means we seek to consider as many aspects of a person’s physical and mental health as possible, in an attempt to optimise the formulation of any compounded product that we agree might be able to help that individual.
Notably, when preparing compounded products:
eCompounding Chemist not only draws on decades of research in Western medicine but is also very mindful of Eastern traditions;
If we believe that adding a particular natural ingredient or commercially unavailable (but lab-tested) compound might benefit the individual for whom the compounded product is intended, then we can do this – provided that individual and his/her doctor are happy for us to do so.
Working in consultation with an individual’s doctor, eCompounding Chemist can even devise a specifically tailored regimen of nutrient, vitamin and mineral supplements that won’t interfere with any other prescribed medications.
Finally, eCompounding Chemist also understands the value of delivering a cost- effective product. That’s why we always try to combine as many active ingredients into each of our compounded products as possible. Doing this reduces the likelihood that you will have to purchase multiple different products – e.g. it might be possible to combine everything you need in a single tablet, capsule or cream.
If you have an ongoing health– or treatment-related problem that you think eCompounding Chemist might be able to help you with, contact us now.
Take Advantage of our highly personalised, one-on-one service
Our eCompounding Chemist service is all about creating appropriately customised healthcare solutions for each individual customer.
If you choose to use our service, we would work closely with you to help address whatever specific, unresolved health– or treatment-related problem(s) you – or your loved ones (or even your pets) – might have.
If possible, we would also seek to work in consultation your doctor (or your loved one’s doctor). This is because eCompounding Chemist recognises that a person’s treating doctor is generally the individual who is best placed to offer appropriately informed, expert advice about that person’s healthcare.
If – together – we decided that preparation of an appropriately customised compounded product might be the best potential solution for your specific health– or treatment-related problem(s), then we would prepare that product for you and have it delivered straight to your door.
F.A.Q.
What is the difference between commercially available and compounded products?
Compounded products are individually prepared items, carefully formulated (i.e. customised) to meet the specific needs and preferences of the person who is going to be using them. They are prepared by a compounding pharmacy, preferably in consultation with a doctor who knows the person for whom the compounding is being performed.
Be aware that compounding pharmacies – such as eCompounding Chemist – are able to use ingredients that may not be commercially available.
When might compounding be helpful?
Compounded healthcare products are often prepared when a person finds that commercially available, ‘one-size-fits-all’ options don’t adequately address their specific, individual healthcare needs or don’t do so in a way that’s sufficiently convenient or acceptable to them. For example, choosing to use a custom-made compounded product might be a useful alternative:
When you find that a commercially available product that you have been prescribed or recommended doesn’t completely relieve your symptoms, or if it seems to cause new symptoms or unpleasant side effects;
When you find that a commercially available product is difficult or unpleasant to swallow (e.g. due its size or taste), difficult, irritating or unpleasant to apply (e.g. to skin) or simply inconvenient to use (e.g. due to the dosing schedule, or the way the treatment needs to be taken or administered);
When a commercially available product contains one or more ingredients that you are allergic to (e.g. you may be allergic to a specific coloring agent, preservative, or ‘filler’);
When a commercially available product contains one or more ingredients that your doctor believes might interact with other medications you are taking;
When a commercially available product contains one or more ingredients that you would prefer to avoid, due to a specific dietary restriction or religious belief (e.g. you might require or prefer a gluten-free, kosher or halal alternative);
When a product isn’t commercially available in a formulation that enables the desired dose of active treatment to be easily taken or administered (e.g. you might need a 5 mg dose of a particular drug, but only be able to purchase pills or capsules that contain a 10 mg dose; or you might need to make or receive a particular treatment in an unusual or specific way, which isn’t possible using commercially available alternatives).
There may also be times when a desired product – or the desired formulation of a product – is simply difficult to find or not commercially available in Australia.
How long do compounded products last?
To minimize this risk of degradation, as well as the risk of contamination by germs, our compounded products usually have a relatively short shelf-life before they expire (e.g. up to 28 days for oral and topical products, or up to 24 hours for products designed to be administered via infusion or injection).
Is compounding regulated?
For example, compounded medicines are not exempted from meeting the quality standards set out in the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) specifies that all compounded medicines must be prepared in accordance with the PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal Products.*
The practice of compounding by pharmacists is also regulated by the Pharmacy Board of Australia.
The compounding pharmacists at eCompounding Chemist always work hard to ensure that each of our compounded products complies with relevant standards.
*PC/S: Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme.
Do I need a prescription to purchase a compounded product?
Ideally, and if possible, we would always seek to work in consultation with your doctor (or your loved one’s doctor, if the compounded product is for this person). This is because eCompounding Chemist recognises that a person’s treating doctor is generally the individual who is best placed to offer appropriately informed, expert advice about that person’s healthcare.
And if the compounded product is for your pet, eCompounding Chemist would always seek the advice of a veterinary surgeon before preparing anything. A pharmacist must always have received appropriate advice or instructions from a veterinary surgeon before preparing a compounded product for an animal.
Can any doctor write a prescription for a compounded treatment?
Can you ship my compounded purchases to me?
What types of medications or other healthcare products can be produced via compounding?
- Tablets, capsules or dissolvable lozenges (or even lollipops);
- Liquid formulations, such as solutions, suspensions, emulsions, mixtures, elixirs or tinctures;
- Topical preparations, such as creams, ointments, lotions, gels, moisturisers, sprays (including nasal sprays) or eye drops;
- Sublingual (under-the-tongue) preparations, such as sprays or drops;
- Patch medications;
- Powders;
- Mouthwashes;
- Suppositories or pessaries;
- Treatments for intravenous infusion or injection.
Sometimes, compounding is as simple as mixing a crushed tablet or the contents of a capsule in water, to form a solution or suspension. Other times, it might involve the addition or removal of specific ingredients.
How are compounded products made?
The components of our compounded products are always purchased from reputable suppliers, ensuring that they are of appropriately high quality, and both the quantities of ingredients used and the method of formulation are always thoroughly documented.
Additional, non-active components (excipients) are included in the majority of our compounded products (e.g. to ensure that an active ingredient dissolves or remains suspended; or to adjust the taste, texture or viscosity of the preparation); and we will usually also add a suitable preservative to multiple-use products.
Who can prepare compounded medications?
The facilities in which compounding takes place must also be adequately designed, equipped, maintained and resourced.
The eCompounding Chemist service is a dedicated compounding service – this means compounding is all we do. We use well-trained compounding pharmacists, and have the appropriate facilities, equipment and quality control procedures in place to be able to prepare custom-made compounded products to a high standard.
Why should I have my compounded product made by a pharmacy that specialises in compounding?
The eCompounding Chemist service is a dedicated compounding service – this means that compounding is all we do. We use appropriately qualified, well-trained compounding pharmacists, and have the appropriate facilities, equipment and quality control procedures in place to be able to prepare custom-made compounded products to a high standard.
Are compounded products expensive?
Fortunately, compounding pharmacists have access to pure-grade quality chemicals. This can dramatically reduce overall costs and means that compounded products may still be very competitively priced, in comparison with commercially available alternatives.
How can I use eCompounding Chemist – Do I need to travel to your store to get a prescription filled?
Alternatively, you may have your doctor either call us 1300 790 138 or fax your prescription to our pharmacy 08 8312 6271.
For Repeats/Refills, you may call our pharmacy on 1300 790 138.
Are compounded medications covered by insurance?
We recommend that you contact your insurance company and check whether you’re covered.