Wedgewood Pharmacy will compound Cytarabine, a life-saving leukemia drug in critically short-supply

Wedgewood Pharmacy will compound Cytarabine 20mg/ml injection solution, which is in critical short supply due to increased demand and manufacturing delays.  Cytarabine often is prescribed to treat leukemia.  Healthcare facilities around the country have reported that the shortage is affecting their ability to treat patients.  Wedgewood Pharmacy is a specialized compounding pharmacy that makes customized prescription medications when FDA-approved manufactured drugs, like Cytarabine, are not available or when human and animal patients need a special dosage-form or flavor of a medication.

George J. Malmberg, R.Ph., F.A.C.A., F.A.C.V.P., Wedgewood Pharmacy’s president and CEO, said,  “In situations such as the current shortage of the cancer drug Cytarabine,  compounding pharmacies provide a critical safety net that can saves lives.  However, not all compounding pharmacies are equipped to compound sterile injectable medications.”

Cytarabine is a sterile solution that must be prepared under special conditions using specialized equipment.  These include preparation under laminar airflow hoods in a cleanroom by a hooded, gowned and gloved pharmacist, and rigorous testing for sterility, potency and contaminants.  Wedgewood Pharmacy is staffed by specialized compounding pharmacists who are experienced with the preparation of sterile medications.

Malmberg added, “Physicians are well advised to question the experience and facilities of any compounding pharmacy they may consider as an alternative source of Cytarabine during the current shortage.”

Established in 1980, Wedgewood Pharmacy is one of the largest compounding pharmacies in the United States, providing more than 25,000 prescribers with compounds for their human and veterinary patients.  It is located in Swedesboro, NJ, and licensed throughout the United States. 

# # #