ADHD Compounding
ADHD Compounding
Over the years compounding pharmacies have worked with many families and practitioners in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Read on to find out how.
Individualised Medicine
Compounded medicines allow the practitioner to completely individualise their patients’ medicine.
They can choose the exact dosage and form of a given nutrient, as well as how it is delivered i.e. as a capsule, powder, cream, liquid, nasal spray, lozenge or injection. Compounding also eliminates the need for any nasty fillers or preservatives, which many ADHD patients are sensitive to.
The flexibility of how a nutraceutical can be compounded, gives the practitioner and patient more treatment options. This can make all the difference for those more difficult cases, such as patients with severe gut damage, impaired oral absorption, and/or those that are not able to swallow a capsule.
The Importance of Quality Standards in Compounding
When you are treating such sensitive patients it is important you choose an accredited compounding pharmacy. An ISO 9001:2015 accredited compounding pharmacy will have state of the art facilities and standard operating procedures in place to ensure that a compounded medicine is of the highest quality every time. They will also carry out testing on their raw materials and end products, for potency and heavy metal content. This is essential when treating any patient, especially sick children. Specially trained compounding pharmacists work closely with the practitioner and the patient to ensure everyone is receiving the most suitable compounded medicine.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Many ADHD patients have shown to have significant deficiencies in vital nutrients, such as zinc, vitamin B6, and magnesium, to name a few. Compounding allows easier and more cost effective delivery of these nutrients, given the higher doses that are commonly required. This improves patient compliance and ultimately treatment outcomes.
Another common hurdle experienced by ADHD patients is sleep disturbance. Compounding enables patients to take a safe and strictly monitored dose of melatonin to help regulate their sleep cycles once more.
Choosing a Compounding Pharmacy
Some compounding pharmacies choose to take part in relevant ADHD conferences and forums, such as MINDD, to ensure their treatment knowledge is current and up to date. When deciding on a compounding pharmacy it is recommended you check, not only that they are appropriately accredited but also that they are keeping up-to-date with all the latest research and treatment options available. This will help to ensure a patient is receiving the best possible treatment options.
The author, Elly Smith, is a Nutritionist at Kingsway Compounding – Australia’s first ISO 9001 accredited compounding pharmacy catering for nutritional compounding, bio-identical hormones (HRT) and sterile aseptic compounds.
