Fagron Online CPD Activity on AJP Advancing Your Practice Series

According to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Professional Practise Standards and the Therapeutic Regulations 1990, pharmacists are permitted to compound medicines for human and animal patients when an appropriate commercial product is not available or suitable for the patient.

A number of pharmacies have identified a lack of compounding capability as gap in their pharmacy services which results in compounded prescriptions being be diverted to pharmacies which offer this service and a missed business opportunity.

However, building a compounding capability requires a solid understanding of the regulatory environment associated with compounding and allocating the appropriate resources to ensure compounded medicines meet with the same high standards of safety and efficacy that are required for registered commercially available medicines.

To help forthcoming compounders understand this requirement and environment, Fagron Australia has created a CPD activity as part of the Australian Journal of Pharmacy’s online Advancing your Practise series. Accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council for 1 hour of Group 2 CPD credits (on completion of assessment), the activity will help pharmacists:

• Describe the difference between simple compounding and complex compounding;
• List reasons why products may need to be compounded;
• Describe the risks associated with compounding medicinal products, and the risk assessment process;
• Explain the difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control.

Building a compounding capability requires very good understanding of the associated regulatory environment as well as allocating the appropriate resources to ensure high standards of safety and efficacy for compounded medicines. With the right support, compounding can provide an excellent opportunity to build on professional pharmacy skills as well as providing another revenue stream for a pharmacy business.