There are over 340,000 Australians with Alzheimer's, and health experts expect this number to more than double by 2050. While Alzheimer's commonly affects older people, the disease can affect people as young as 30, which presents some significant treatment challenges. In an attempt to find new ways to boost the effects of Alzheimer's medication, some patients now use compounding pharmacies. If you or a loved one has Alzheimer's disease, find out how these pharmacies could help.
How compounding pharmacies work
Compounding pharmacies have existed for several decades, and some patients have benefited from these services for some time. A trained compounding pharmacist can adapt the medications that a doctor prescribes for patients who may experience problems with normal dosages or dispensing methods.
Pharmacies once nearly always compounded medications, but mass production of prescription drugs enabled healthcare companies to dispense medications cheaply, as long as patients stuck with the format and dosage that a doctor prescribed. Many patients now realise that there are sometimes better ways to take their medications, and compounding pharmacies work with doctors to provide solutions.
Helping Alzheimer's patients deal with side effects
Some Alzheimer's patients experience side effects from the medications they must take. For example, some people suffer severe gastrointestinal or cardiorespiratory problems when they take cholinesterase inhibitors during the early to moderate stages of the disease
A compounding pharmacist can often help with this problem. For example, he or she can develop a liquid form of the drug that may not cause the same gastrointestinal symptoms. Alternatively, by making a slight adjustment to the dosage, the patient may experience less severe and more tolerable symptoms.
Compounding pharmacists can also develop suppositories for certain medications that Alzheimer's patients take. Suppositories are solid, molded medications that patients insert in the rectum or vagina. As the suppository dissolves, the body absorbs the active drug, without it having to pass through the digestive system.
A suppository can help Alzheimer's patients who need to:
- Bypass liver metabolism
- Control and prevent excess stomach acid
- Bypass gastrointestinal sensitivity
- Avoid vomiting
The medications that Alzheimer's sufferers must take can change during their lifetimes. For example, in the later stages of the disease, doctors often switch patients from cholinesterase inhibitors to a drug called mamentine. A compounding pharmacist can mix these drugs into a single tablet or liquid (at a suitable dosage) that will help Alzheimer's patients cope with the transition between medications.
Making sure patients keep up with their medication
Alzheimer's patients commonly suffer symptoms that affect their memory. If a patient forgets to take his or her medication, the symptoms of the disease can quickly worsen, and if you're not sure if somebody has taken his or her tablets, there's then an increased risk of overdose. Of course, sometimes, memory isn't the issue. Some Alzheimer's patients simply become agitated or anxious when it comes to taking drugs, especially if they have a lot of tablets to swallow.
A compounding pharmacist can combine multiple medications and create one customised product that cuts down the number of doses the patient needs to remember to take during the day. What's more, with only one compounded drug to take, carers are less likely to battle with anxious or agitated patients. Many Alzheimer's patients benefit from compounded drugs in a liquid form that carers can put in a cup of tea or fruit juice.
By working with a prescribing doctor, a compounding pharmacist can create customised medications that help people with chronic diseases cope with the drugs they need to take. If you want to find out more about the benefits of compounded medications, contact a compounding pharmacist in your area, like Keilor Village Chemmart Pharmacy.
