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Child refuses to take a medicine

When Your Child Can’t or Won’t take their Medicine, Try a Compounding Pharmacy

Parents struggle whenever their little ones are sick, but it’s especially troublesome when the medicine bottle clearly states, “not recommended for children under the age of 6.” What you may not know is that a compounding pharmacy works with your pediatrician’s instructions to create customized oral solutions or topical gels to get your little one healthy again.

Medicine doesn’t have to taste like medicine

Even when your child is old enough to take the recommended dose of a commercially branded medicine, they may not like the flavor.

A compounding pharmacy, like Nora Apothecary, can transform giving medicine into a more pleasant experience. Flavors like cherry, orange, grape, and even tutti frutti can change your child’s attitude about taking their medicine.

Need a specific dosage?

There may be instances when your child needs a specific dosage of a medication, or a specific combination of medications at certain concentrations, that is not commercially available. A compounding pharmacy creates custom medication tailored to every individual’s unique needs, For your child, that means ensuring they are getting the appropriate dosage and treatment for their condition.

Can’t take pills?

Is your child unable to swallow pills? Medications that are traditionally in pill form can be made into a liquid suspension so they are easier to take. Imagine how much easier it would be to treat your child’s condition if instead of having to take a pill, they can drink a liquid that tastes like grape! A medication can’t work if a child won’t take it, and we can solve that.

Sensitive to additives?

Many commercially available medications have additives and/or preservatives that your child may be sensitive or allergic to. A compounding pharmacy, like Nora Apothecary, can make your child’s medication so it is free of these added ingredients.

Experienced, friendly, and serving all of the Indianapolis area

Nora Apothecary is a compounding pharmacy whose dedicated staff have years of experience, are board certified, and hold themselves to the high-quality standards of the Professional Compounding Centers of America. Whether you just have questions about the medications you are giving your children, or you want to know more about compounded medicines to discuss with your doctor, stop in or give us a call; we’ll be happy to help you learn more about what we do, and look forward to serving you and your family.

Know Who You’re Seeing for Your Fortified Ophthalmic Prescriptions

Compounded medications are often the best choice for treatment of specific eye related issues, such as severe keratitis, and these unique eye solutions are called fortified ophthalmic solutions. It is important to have a licensed and experienced compounding pharmacy create these individualized solutions prescribed by your physician. Nora Apothecary, for instance, has been a compounding pharmacy in Indianapolis for over 50 years.

Why choose a compounded solution over commercially made eye drops?

Your diagnosis and treatment may require medications that are not available commercially, or you may need a combination of therapies to fully treat your condition. In either case, it’s important to understand what compounding is and how to choose a qualified pharmacy.

A compounding pharmacy creates medications tailor-made for every individual to best suit their particular condition and needs. Your doctor may prescribe eye drops that contain specific concentrations of ingredients, so that the drops best treat your specific eye condition. A compounding pharmacy creates a medication made just for you, versus a “one-size-fits-all” treatment from commercially available medications.

In addition, while there are instances where custom-made solutions are the only available option, you may find that commercially available eye drops can treat a condition you have. However, those drops also contain ingredients you don’t want or need. For instance, many eye drops contains allergens and preservatives. A compounding pharmacy can create eye drops to be preservative-free. This is especially important for patients who may have sensitivities and allergies to certain preservatives. If you can’t tolerate allergens and preservatives that are used in commercially made ophthalmic solutions, a compounding pharmacy like Nora Apothecary can create eye drops that are preservative-free.

Also, if a commercially available eye drop would suit your needs, but is on backorder from the manufacturer, a compounding pharmacy that specializes in ophthalmic drops can create it in-house, and at Nora Apothecary, we can have it to you the same day.

Finally, sometimes eye drops are not the best delivery form. A compounding pharmacy can create the prescription in another form that may work better, such as an ointment.

Things to consider when choosing a compounding pharmacy in Indianapolis

You should always choose a pharmacological provider using these considerations: Quality, Experience, References, Knowledge, and Customer Service.

Here’s why we believe we are the best choice:

Nora Apothecary has been serving the Indianapolis area since 1962. As a member of PCCA (Professional Compounding Centers of America), we receive our compounding chemicals with excellent quality assurance and quality control standards that are unparalleled.

At Nora Apothecary, we have a highly trained and skilled pharmacy staff with a combined tenure of over 50 years of experience. We get to know our customers, so get to know us through those who already trust their prescriptions with us. We are not a cookie cutter, big box pharmacy; with us you’ll find a friendlier and more personal approach.

Our customer service is “mom and pop” friendly, but our specialized equipment is state-of-the art, and sterility certified. Call Nora Apothecary for all your prescription compounding needs. We look forward to serving you.

Hormone Replacement Therapies Designed for You

Hormonal problems come in many forms and they can strike both men and women. Compounded pharmaceuticals can bring welcome relief, because treatment is customized for your particular needs.

Infertility and menopause
The female reproductive system is an amazing example of nature’s ability to engineer miracles. When everything is in tune, the result is often the miracle of birth, but hormonal imbalance can affect everything from mental acuity, attitude, changes in physical appearance, and how well the body’s different systems function, i.e. infertility. Doctors often talk about boosting estrogen or progesterone in an attempt to find hormonal balance. Customized topical creams made through compounding, but without unnecessary additives or harsh chemicals, can be an easier and more natural approach to treatment and getting hormones levels balanced.

When you reach an age where your body slows its production of hormones, and menopause is looming on the horizon, it can be a frustrating time of life. And as with all things, while women in menopause no longer have to deal with monthly mood swings, bloating, and their menstrual cycle, there are new problems: hot flashes, loss of libido, dryness, and sleep problems, among others. Some women prefer to take a wait and see attitude when it comes to hormone replacement, while others want to start therapy at the first sign of “the Change.” Either way, compounded hormone replacement that is tailored to your specific and individual needs, versus traditional hormone replacement that is many times a “one-size-fits all” approach, can help wherever you fall on the treatment curve.

Male “Menopause”
Technically, it can’t be menopause because men do not have a cessation of menses; however, men do deal with hormone imbalances as they get older. This much slower process of decreasing testosterone is often ignored. Men suffer in silence with thinning hair, loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, and yes, mood swings. When you feel like things are changing, pay attention – they probably are!

Talk to your doctor and work with a compounding pharmacy
Hormone replacement therapy can be confusing; what’s the difference between estrogen and progesterone; or bi-estrogen and tri-estrogen? How can testosterone make a difference? Your doctor can help you figure out what you need and how much. Our job is to create it in a dosage and form that work for you.
Indianapolis is a big place with a lot of choices, but Nora Apothecary is the perfect combination of caring professionals and experience; you can trust that your compounded prescriptions are made with the highest quality assurance standards around. We care about your needs as an individual and as a customer. We’ll work with your doctor to make sure you’re getting everything you need from your medication.

Whether you’re trying to have a family, are beyond childbearing years, or looking to maintain a normal active lifestyle, and your hormones are making it difficult, talk to your doctor and bring your compounded prescriptions to us. We’ve been serving the Indianapolis area since 1962, and we’d love to serve you.

Specialty Meds for Your Pet

Your pet’s health is important and your veterinary compounding pharmacy knows how important your pet is to you. If you’ve ever had to fill a prescription for your non-human family member, you may have had difficulty getting them to take their medicine. How many times did you have to hide the pill in a treat or try to pop or push the pill to the back of their throat hoping to get them to swallow on the first try? What if your pet is more exotic and pills aren’t an option?

Does giving meds to your pet fill you with a sense of dread?

Yes, it can be as exhausting as trying to give medicine to a child, but even more so with an animal because they can often smell the medicine as soon as you take the cap off the bottle. Whether you have a cat that leaves you scratched, and you’re exhausted from trying to catch them or coax them to come out from behind the sofa, or have a dog that has a mystical ability to spit out a half disintegrated pill coated in drool, you know you hate giving meds about as much as they hate taking them.

A compounding pharmacist is likely to be very helpful with special compounds to make giving medicine less stressful for you and your pet. Pet prescriptions can often be made into different forms such as flavored treats, topical creams, or liquids. You should discuss these options with your vet during the office visit.

Why should you consider a compound pharmacist for your pet?

Each pet is unique and responds to medications and medication forms differently. What works for one may not work for another. Also, if you have a less-than-common pet like a snake, it will require more specialized care. The point of medication compounding is to create a specific medicine unique to the patient. It is important to work with a pharmacist who is trained and experienced in the art of compounding pharmaceuticals. It is always best to go to a pharmacy that only specializes in the unique art of compounding medication.

Your vet and the veterinary pharmacy working together

What good is a medication if your pet won’t take it? Knowing that there are options available is the first step in keeping your pet healthy.  Discuss changing the medication form or delivery method with your veterinarian to find one that ensures your pet will take its medicine properly.  Your veterinarian can then work directly with the compounding pharmacist to ensure that your pet’s medical needs are met.

Your compounding pharmacist in Indianapolis

Nora Apothecary was established in 1962 and has been serving as a compounding pharmacy in the Indianapolis area ever since. We work hand in hand with your veterinarian to bring quality pet pharmaceuticals to you and your pets, and when an individualized patient-specific compound is needed, we meet those needs with knowledge and experience.

The Benefits of Custom Supplements

When most people think about taking a supplement, they think about over-the-counter vitamins and supplements offered in most pharmacies and supermarkets. For example, they may think about the typical multivitamin that many people take every day. However, there is a far wider world of supplements out there, and many custom compounding pharmacies offer high-quality supplements that provide more potent and far-reaching benefits than the typical vitamins offered in stores.

What are some of the benefits offered by high-quality supplements?

Only the needed vitamins and minerals are ingested.

Vitamins and minerals are one area where it is entirely possible to have way too much of a good thing. Many vitamins and minerals can be toxic if they reach high levels in the body. Unfortunately, people can’t go to the store and pick up a bottle of multivitamins that have the vitamins their bodies are lacking, without also having the vitamins they already have plenty of. This is what makes high-quality supplements so superior. People can work with their doctors and a compounding pharmacist to create the perfect vitamin and and supplement plan for their individual needs.

Purity of Product.

Are you sure you are just taking a vitamin? Some lower-quality vitamins and supplements are full of fillers, dyes, and other ingredients. Be sure to read the label carefully. If you are going to invest in your health by taking a vitamin or supplement, then be sure to invest in high-quality products.

Patients are made more aware of the interactions of vitamins with each other and with their medications.

Far too many people take supplements blindly, without researching the side effects that can occur if they are mixed together or mixed with prescription medications. When people take the time to work with their doctor and a compounding pharmacist to find the right fit for individualized supplements, they will be well informed about the possible side effects and interactions. Therefore, taking the time to learn about supplements and discuss them with a knowledgeable healthcare professional is not only more beneficial, but can help to protect yourself from unwanted side effects caused by mixing supplements and medications in harmful ways.

A good compounding pharmacy will offer a variety of high-quality supplement brands. Some of these brands include Pure Encapsulations, Thorne, Metagenics, and Integrative Therapeutics, among others. One compounding pharmacy committed to taking the time to work with each customer to make sure that everyone gets the right supplements is Nora Apothecary. We are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is proud to serve customers all over Indiana with their vitamin and supplement.

 

custom compounding for hormone replacement

Custom Compounding for Hormonal Replacement Therapy

For many women, the middle years can be a time of frustrating hormonal fluctuations that leave them feeling mentally and physically drained and tired. The good news is that women don’t have to suffer through this life period without help. Hormone replacement therapy has long been used to help alleviate these symptoms.

What are some of the signs that a woman should look into hormone replacement therapy?

She underwent a hysterectomy before menopause.

Having a hysterectomy before menopause unfortunately means that a woman is significantly more likely to need hormone replacement therapy.

 

She is suffering from low libido and vaginal dryness.

Contrary to widespread myths, there is no need for women to lose their sex lives due to hormonal fluctuations caused by menopause.

 

She finds herself dealing with hot flashes and insomnia.

A few hot flashes are normal, but if a woman is being debilitated by them, and they are causing insomnia, then hormonal replacement therapy might be in order.

 

Significant mood swings, anxiety or depression become part of life.

Women may experience changes in mood with the onset of menopause, but if a woman experiences depression and/or anxiety symptoms that disrupt her daily life, hormonal replacement therapy may be needed.

 

Any woman experiencing the symptoms described above, or experiencing a lower quality of life due to menopausal symptoms, may find it useful to look into hormonal therapy options.

However, every woman’s hormonal levels and needs are unique, and mass-produced medication therapies do not serve every woman’s needs. This is where custom compounding for hormone replacement comes in. Every woman’s level of hormonal imbalance is different, and a compounding pharmacist will work with the patient and her doctor to create custom hormonal therapy treatments tailor-made for that patient to help address symptoms caused by fluctuating hormones during menopause. Many treatment options are offered, including progesterone, triestrogen, biestrogen, testosterone, DHEA, and thyroid hormones.

A good compounding pharmacy will offer custom hormonal therapy medications in a variety of forms, including capsules, sublingual drops and troches, suppositories, mini-suppositories, vaginal creams, and topical creams. This makes it easy for a woman to choose a method that is both comfortable and effective. Nora Apothecary, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one such pharmacy that understands the importance of personalized care and meeting the unique needs of each individual patient. Nora Apothecary creates custom medications as unique as the patient herself.

Custom compounding for hormonal replacement therapy can help women navigate the difficult parts of hormone imbalance with grace and health, and offers the perfect solution for any woman who wants to work with her doctor to create a hormonal therapy treatment plan tailored to the specific needs of her body.

Can Your Pet Benefit from a Veterinary Compounding Pharmacy?

Custom compounding, the art of creating custom, tailor-made medications for people, has been used by doctors and pharmacies for decades to treat human patients. However, most people probably don’t think about veterinary medications when they think about custom compounding.

However, pets are also in need of custom compounding of medications. Why? Because just like humans, a one-size-fits-all approach to treating animals does not work. They are all unique with different risk factors, needs, dosages, etc. For example, the needs of a Toy Poodle are much different than those of a Great Dane, and mass-produced medications won’t meet the needs of both equally.

There are many reasons that a pet owner, and their pet, can benefit from a veterinary compounding pharmacist.

The pet is allergic to a common ingredient.

When dealing with a pet allergic to gluten, dairy, or any other common ingredient, it may be difficult to find mass-produced medications that are free of the troublesome ingredient. A veterinary compounding pharmacist can help to create a medication with the active ingredients the pet, needs but without the added fillers and allergens.

The pet has a difficult time taking medications.

A veterinarian may prescribe pills for your pet, but the animal simply won’t swallow them, so an alternative option is needed. A compounding pharmacy can create the medication in other forms including treats, gels, and liquids, among others. Also, flavoring like fish or chicken can be added to make the medication more palatable for the pet.

The pet is rare or exotic.

Perhaps the pet is a gopher tortoise or sugar glider. Less common pets are harder to treat with mass produced medications. There are less options available that are tailored to that specific animal, and sometimes there are none at all. A compounding pharmacy can create and compound a medication specific to nearly any animal, no matter how rare.

Pets come in all sizes.

The dosage for a small dog most likely needs to be dialed down from the dosage for a large dog. It is important to be cautious about dosages with respect to the size of the animal. A compounding pharmacy tailor-makes the medication to make sure it is the appropriate dosage for the pet’s size and weight.

These are just a few examples of how a pet owner, and pets, can benefit from the services that a custom compounding pharmacy has to offer. One veterinary compounding pharmacy is Nora Apothecary. Nora Apothecary knows how important pets are in our lives. Pets are not just animals; they are family. As such, Nora Apothecary in Indiana offers top-quality products and personalized medication to help your pet get, and stay, healthy.

So, what is custom compounding anyway?

Despite the widespread use of supplements and medications in the US, many people have never heard of custom compounding and are unaware of the benefits it offers.

What is custom compounding? In simple terms, it is a method of creating medications and supplements that are “customized” towards an individual’s unique needs. A compounding pharmacist will create medications with higher or lower amounts of certain ingredients depending on each patient’s needs.

While they are not as well know today, compounding pharmacies have been in existence for decades. Creating medications that are individualized for specific patients in an age-old tradition that still has many benefits today, and is perhaps more important now than ever.

Drugs today are not carefully made in a small compounding pharmacy for handful of patients. They are mass-produced, and this has created a widespread “one-size-fits-all” approach to medications and supplements. Thankfully, there are many compounding pharmacies and many physicians who are willing to work with a compounding pharmacist to create customized medications for their patients. This means that patients get medications tailor-made for them, versus taking a mass-produced medication that may not meet a patient’s unique and individual needs.

How can someone know if custom compounding is the right choice for their drugs or supplements? There are many situations where custom compounding can be helpful. Custom medications can be great for people who cannot swallow pills, such as elderly or children, and need an alternative form such as a liquid or a cream. Many people are allergic or sensitive to fillers and non-active ingredients in mass-produced medications, and these can be removed in a custom compounded medication. A compounding pharmacy can also create custom doses for someone who needs larger or smaller doses than the ones that are mass-manufactured. In addition, custom compounding is worth looking into for anyone undergoing hormone replacement therapy, as a compounding pharmacist can work with a patient’s doctor to create hormonal replacement medications that are tailored to the patient’s individual needs.

Overall, custom compounding is the perfect solution for anyone who cannot tolerate mass produced medications for any reason. It is also a great way to minimize side effects, because a compounding pharmacist will help a patient get appropriate dosage needed and remove any irritating non-active ingredients.

Custom Compounding is both the past and the future of pharmacy. More and more people see the importance of custom medications tailor-made to meet their individual needs. For anyone who is having trouble with mass-produced medications, custom compounding is the solution. Nora Apothecary, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one pharmacy dedicated to offering custom compounded medications and high-quality supplements to meet the individual needs of their patients.