Compounding pharmacist, Angie Svoboda, Pharm.D., FIACP, of Good Life Pharmacy, has achieved the professional rating of Hormone Replacement Therapy Specialist by completing a rigorous program of study, Comprehensive Core Concepts in Compounding, offered by PCCA. The course includes specialized study of ovarian anatomy, physiology and endogenous hormone function, laboratory tests and uses, clinical compounded treatment therapies, dosing guidelines and patient counseling.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a growing practice in pharmacy compounding, in which specialized pharmacists prepare customized medications for patients, by prescription order, when a practitioner determines that an off-the-shelf medication is not appropriate for the patient. HRT is most often prescribed to ease the symptoms of menopause, but it also can be used to treat a variety of conditions that women of all ages may experience, including:
Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)
Moodiness
Post-partum depression
Endometriosis
Sleep disturbances
Irregular menstrual cycle
Infertility
Weight gain
Fibrocystic breasts
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Decreased libido
Painful sexual intercourse
Vaginal dryness
These conditions affect millions of women. As the number of women seeking hormone-related treatment has grown, so has the mass production of pills, patches and creams by the drug industry. However, each woman’s body is different and has its own unique needs, but commercially manufactured products tend to be “one-size-fits-all,” and do not always account for the differences between individuals.
Working closely with a woman and her healthcare provider, a compounding pharmacist can help a woman start and maintain a hormone replacement regimen that brings her hormones back into balance and closely mimics what her body has been doing naturally for years. With a healthcare provider’s prescription, the pharmacist can prepare hormones in a variety of strengths and dosage forms, including:
Capsules Topical or vaginal creams, gels, and foams Suppositories Sublingual drops or troches
Once the therapy is begun, the pharmacist will continue to work with the woman and her prescriber to make sure the HRT is working correctly, adjusting the dosage if necessary, ensuring that the medication is just right for her body.
Good Life Pharmacy has been compounding for patients for over 20 years. Dr. Svoboda is the most experienced hormone compounding pharmacist in the Midwest – she exclusively compounds for patients in Nebraska and South Dakota. For an evaluation by Dr. Svoboda, call (308) 728-3295 today. To learn more about HRT, visit our Hormone replacement page on GoodLifeRx.com and fill out an evaluation form.
PCCA is a complete resource for independent compounding pharmacies, including the profession’s most comprehensive training and professional education programs. The company’s members are nearly 4,000 independent community pharmacists in the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries around the world. PCCA was incorporated in 1981 by a network of pharmacists who recognized the need to help patients requiring customized medications. Those pharmacists became pioneers in the modern era of pharmacy compounding.