Wedgewood introduces Twist-a-Dose transdermal applicator: easy, accurate, and simple administration of medications to companion animals
(Swedesboro NJ , September 27, 2007) Wedgewood Pharmacy has introduced the Twist-a-Dose™ transdermal applicator, an innovative package that makes it easier and safer for veterinarians and pet owners to administer precise doses of custom-compounded medications to companion animals. Instead of the old 1ml plunger-type topical syringe, Twist-a-Dose™ requires just two twists of a clearly marked rotating end cap to dispense the precise dose required.
Animated instructions for using the Twist-a-Dose™ are located at https://www.wedgewood.com/Twist-a-Doseinstructions.html.
Twist-a-Dose™ delivers a more concentrated gel than the plunger-type syringes previously used to dispense transdermal medications. The cost for a 30-day supply of medication can be one-half or less the cost of the same medications delivered in syringes.
Transdermal medications must be dispensed in tiny, concentrated doses to the inside of a cat's ear flap or pinna. A typical old plunger-style syringe typically contains 1 milliliter of medication — just one-fifth of a teaspoon — concentrated so that the desired dose is one-tenth of that. Practically, this means that pet owners had to read tiny markings on the syringe to get a correct dose and then use a gloved finger to apply the gel to the inside of the ear. The Twist-a-Dose™ transdermal applicator is more concentrated so that two twists of the Twist-a-Dose™ pen delivers the same amount of medication in 0.05 milliliters. And, because it minimizes physical contact with the medication, it's safer because pet owners can apply the medication directly to the animal's ear using the built-in applicator tip, minimizing human contact with the medicine.
Since the dose delivered by the Twist-a-Dose™ is more concentrated, the medication it dispenses can be prepared with less transdermal gel base, the “vehicle” that carries the active ingredient. As a result, a 30-dose supply can be provided in a single Twist-a-Dose™ applicator compared to three old-style syringes. This simplifies things for both the veterinarian and the pet owner.
Veterinarians may prescribe transdermal medications for cats when other means of delivering medications such as pills, capsules, suspensions and flavorings have been tried. This may be due to pet owners who have been unable to “pill” their animals or when animals refuse bitter-tasting medications, such as Methimazole, which is used to manage hyperthyroidism.
Wedgewood currently fills prescriptions from licensed prescribers in the Twist-a-Dose™ applicator for these medicines:
Amitriptyline HCl
Atenolol
Buspirone HCl
Cisapride
Clomipramine HCl
Dexamethasone
Diltiazem HCl
Enalapril
Famotidine
Fluoxetine
Furosemide
Glipizide
Metoclopramide
Methimazole
Phenoxybenzamine
Prednisolone
Prednisone
Theophylline
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.