To prevent infection, prescribers of compounded medications must learn about the facilities that produce their therapies.
LAS VEGAS—Medical professionals must be rigorous in evaluating the sources of the compounded medications that they prescribe for intrathecal delivery, said Joshua P. Prager, MD, MS, at the 16th Annual Meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society. Ideally, prescribers should visit the facilities that compound the medications so that they can evaluate their operations. Dr. Prager, Director of the Center for Rehabilitation of Pain Syndromes at the University of California, Los Angeles, made his remarks in a lecture directed at physicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists, pain specialists, neurologists, and any physician who prescribes or uses compounded medications.
During a facility visit, a clinician should ask representatives of the compounding pharmacy for information about its background. For example, the prescriber should ask how many years of experience the facility or team has in sterile compounding, said Dr. Prager. In addition, the sterile compounding pharmacy should be asked whether it has been accredited by an acknowledged compounding association, such as the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board.
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