Tag:compounding

Queensland’s compounded medicine sector envies NSW’s new pharmacy guidelines

Queensland’s compounding pharmacy sector is calling on that state’s Pharmacy Council to follow in the lead of The Pharmacy Council of New South Wales and introduce a comprehensive set of guidelines for Queensland’s compounders. Matthew Bellgrove from National Custom Compounding on the Gold Coast said Queenslanders deserved to have confidence in a pharmacy sector that […]

When medicines run dry, what’s your back up plan?
drug shortages, medication

What do you do when your hospital pharmacy can’t fill a script? I don’t mean your computers have gone down, I mean supplies of the medication requested have run dry. Not just at your pharmacy and not just in your city or town, but right across the country. Do you have a back-up plan? The […]

220 medications discontinued in the past 18 months

Since the start of 2018, over 220 medications have been discontinued by the manufacturer and taken off the market for reasons other than safety, according to data compiled by the (TGA). In over half of the cases the impact to public health has been assessed as ‘medium’. Matthew Bellgrove from National Custom Compounding said when […]

Psychiatry turns to compounding pharmacy for expert help in drug-drug interactions

The exponential growth of psychopharmacology has been both a boon to modern psychiatry and a source of challenge. The range of antidepressant, antipsychotic, and increasingly, anticonvulsant drugs now available to psychiatry are far greater than ever before. When you add off-label medications to the mix, the list climbs to well over 300. The impressive arsenal […]

Government recognises potential of personalised medicine through $65 million grant program

The Australian government has recognised the potential of personalised medicine in a very public way by today announcing $65 million in competitive grants for genomic research into cures for cancer, childhood diseases and diseases with low survival rates. The compounding pharmacy sector is applauding the announcement, viewing it as a step in the right direction […]

Demand for compounders set to rise as growing aging population seeks specialised health services
compounding pharmacies

As the big chain-store discount pharmacies grab at greater market share, traditional community pharmacies are increasingly turning to customised services, such as compounded medication, to tap into new ‘seniors’ markets and professionally differentiate themselves from their ‘cheap and cheerful’ big chemist competitors. Matthew Bellgrove from National Custom Compounding said in recent years he has seen […]

Could locally compounded orphan drugs be the solution for families struggling with high costs of medicines?
orphan drugs compounded medication

Gold Coast specialist pharmacist, Matthew Bellgrove is calling on the government to consider modern compounding as part of the solution to the escalating cost of orphan drugs used to treat rare diseases. Mr Bellgrove said taking a fresh new look at the services provided by the Australia’s modern compounding sector could result in significant savings […]

Worldwide drug shortages causing concern among Australian doctors and pharmacists
drug shortages, medication

In an article recently published in Fortune Magazine attention was drawn to a looming crisis in America’s healthcare system:  ongoing and persistent shortages of essential medicines. Of greatest concern is that these drug shortages are being experienced, not with rare medicines, but with medications that are used and prescribed routinely every day – medicines that […]

New penalties concerning drug shortages welcomed by compounding pharmacists
penalties not reporting drug shortages

With the incidence of drug shortages increasing worldwide, one made-to-order medication specialist has welcomed a proposal to introduce substantial fines for drug manufacturers and marketers who don’t report upcoming disruptions to supply. Matthew Bellgrove from National Custom Compounding on the Gold Coast said failure to notify authorities of a shortage in some essential medications could […]

Compounded medication is about to get even safer

The world’s leading authority on safety in drug manufacturing, United States Pharmacopeia (USP), has announced that this year they will be updating their standards for the compounding of medications in traditional compounding pharmacies. Specialist pharmacist Matthew Bellgrove from National Custom Compounding welcomed the news saying it would help to build trust in the sector. “Anything […]