PROFILE OF A PHARMACIST+ SPECIALTY AREA — COMPOUNDING FOCUS: PHARMACY ENTREPRENEURSHIP This is the column where we feature different pharmacy specialty areas and alternative careers.As well as a space for pharmacists practicing in these areas to offer input on the relevant career skills for success in their chosen fields.
Pharmacists are becoming more and more creative in designing career paths that suit the actual needs of patients ~ Ndidi Okpareke
For this edition, our pharmacy specialty area is compounding.An aspect of pharmacy that has evolved into a somewhat niche pharmacy specialty area.
What is Pharmacy Compounding?
In hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities, patients can sometimes be given compounded Drug compounding is the process medications when FDA-approved of combining, mixing, or altering drugs are not medically ingredients to create a medication appropriate for treating them due tailored to the needs of an to their altered physiological individual patient. Compounding states. In these situations, may involve two or more drugs compounding can serve an along with other required important patient need.* ingredients for the new formulation. This specialty area is not without some degree of misunderstanding Compounding is generally a because compounded medications practice in which a licensed or formulations are not FDA pharmacist, or a person under the approved.The final products do supervision of a licensed not go through the clinical trial pharmacist combines, mixes, or process although the ingredients alters ingredients of a drug.With themselves are approved drugs or the goal of creating a medication ingredients.This is not to say that tailored to the needs of an quality standards do not apply to individual patient* compounded drugs.As licensed healthcare professionals, we have Drugs may be compounded for a sworn duty to do no harm to patients who cannot be treated our patients. using an FDA-approved medication. Such as a patient with So, what quality standards an allergy to a certain dye and apply to compounded needs a medication made without drugs? it. Or an elderly patient or a child who cannot swallow a tablet or Standards differ based on the capsule and needs a medicine in a setting where compounding liquid dosage form. occurs. Drugs compounded in outsourcing facilities are subject to current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements as 16 CAREER-Rx MAGAZINE
with other products from any manufacturing facility. Drugs compounded by licensed pharmacists in state-licensed or federal facility, while exempt from compliance with CGMP requirements are still subject to quality standards set in state law (which may differ from state to state). Irrespective of where compounding occurs, other federal requirements apply, especially and including that, drugs not be prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions.
Compounding Specialty — Sample Pharmacists Roles Pharmacists can play many roles in this specialty area. From academic research, to being the supervisor of a team of other professionals working within an approved facility to compound the medications if running their own independent compounding pharmacy. In this capacity, pharmacists may collaborate with physicians (or veterinarians) to ensure that patients (and pets) get their special formulations. Our featured trailblazer in this specialty area — Dr Ndidi Okpareke, an independent compounding pharmacy entrepreneur. Dr Okpareke is the owner of Olive Tree Compounding Pharmacy in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. She holds the distinction of being the poster pharmacist behind the first African American owned compounding pharmacy of its kind in the history of the state of New Mexico. Dr Ndidi is one pharmacist who has certainly compounded pharmacy skills along the way to entrepreneurship, having worked in inpatient pediatric, critical care and retail pharmacy before transitioning to being a business owner. I have to say that Dr Okpareke to me, is not just a pharmacist. I see her also as a brand ambassador for Olive Tree’s skin care products.And it shows right there on our cover page. Hear Dr Ndidi (Didi) in her own words.
Pharmacists and Compounding
**Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
As licensed pharmacist professionals, we have the professional go-ahead to serve an unmet area of need for patients and their families.And because we all learned this as a basic and foundational pharmacy skill (pharmaceutics anyone?), it means any pharmacist with keen interest can pick and build it up entrepreneurially like our featured specialist did.
Tell Me More About You and Your Career Path to Date
Why did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
My name is Dr. Ndidiamaka Okpareke. I am a licensed Pharmacist in the state of New Mexico. I am the President and owner of Olive Tree Compounding Pharmacy, the first African American owned pharmacy of its kind in the history of the state of New
I became interested in compounding pharmacy after many years of working in the industry without professional satisfaction. I decided to analyze the business dynamics of compounding pharmacy, and when the numbers made sense, I dove in.
Mexico. I graduated from the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy in 2008, and I practiced inpatient pediatric pharmacy, inpatient critical care pharmacy, and retail pharmacy before becoming an entrepreneur and starting my own business in 2017.
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