Wedgewood Pharmacy responds to Acepromazine Maleate drug shortage
(Swedesboro NJ, July 8, 2008) While Acepromazine Maleate (Acepromazine) is on extended backorder from the manufacturer, Wedgewood Pharmacy will compound this preparation into Gourmeds™ (chewable, flavored tablets), capsules and a flavored suspension in the most frequently prescribed strengths. Acepromazine will be available by prescription for veterinary use only.
It may be prescribed for both cats and dogs, Acepromazine is a phenothiazine sedative/tranquilizer. Researchers report that it is used as a preanesthetic agent. When given orally, Acepromazine may prevent motion sickness, often triggered by travel anxiety, or temporarily relieve common allergy symptoms.
George J. Malmberg, R.Ph., F.A.C.A, F.A.C.V.P., the pharmacist president and CEO of Wedgewood Pharmacy, said “Filling a void during circumstances such as a manufacturer backorder is why compounding pharmacies are a critical component of the healthcare system. A sudden change in the status of what normally is a commercially available medication doesn't have to mean a change in the treatment regimen veterinarians prescribe for their patients.”
About Wedgewood Pharmacy
A compounding pharmacy creates customized medications for individual patients in response to a licensed practitioner’s prescription. Wedgewood Pharmacy is one of the largest compounding pharmacies in the United States, serving more than 25,000 prescribers of compounded medications. It is located in Swedesboro NJ and licensed throughout the United States.
Background: About Compounding Pharmacy
Because every patient is different and has different needs, customized, compounded medications are a vital part of quality medical care. The basis of the profession of pharmacy has always been the "triad," the patient-prescriber-pharmacist relationship.
Through this relationship, patient needs are determined by a prescriber, who chooses a treatment regimen that may include a compounded medication. Prescribers often prescribe compounded medications for reasons that include (but are not limited to) the following situations:
- When needed medications are discontinued by or generally unavailable from pharmaceutical companies, often because the medications are no longer profitable to manufacture;
- When the patient is allergic to certain preservatives, dyes or binders in available off-the shelf medications;
- When treatment requires tailored dosage strengths for patients with unique needs (for example, an infant);
- When a pharmacist can combine several medications the patient is taking to increase compliance;
- When the patient cannot ingest the medication in its commercially available form and a pharmacist can prepare the medication in cream, liquid or other form that the patient can easily take; and
- When medications require flavor additives to make them more palatable for some patients.
For additional information, visit the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists’ Web site at www.iacprx.org and www.compoundingfacts.org.