Southeast Compounding Pharmacy located in Tampa shares the process of how creams are made! One of the most frequent compounding requests they get at Southeast Compounding is for creams. To make creams, the pharmacy technician combines multiple ingredients both inactive and active to create the compounded formula. The exact “recipe” depends on the needs of the individual that the medication is being customized for. Compounded medications are ordered when a patient requires a unique dosage form or concentration that is not commercially available. Please read below to learn about the process! 

1. First, the pharmacy technician gathers all the necessary materials they will need to compound the medication. For a cream this usually includes 2-3 active ingredients, a base, a wetting agent, some spatulas, and a mortar and pestle. It is also important to keep a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and paper towels on hand to regularly wipe down the work station.
   
2. The technician then begins weighing out the exact amount of the active ingredients needed precisely down to 1/100^th of a gram.
    
3. After all the ingredients are weighed out the technician combines them using a mortar and pestle and the process of geometric dilution. Geometric dilution is a method where small equal quantities of the powders are combined one at a time to make sure everything is equally distributed.
   
    
4. After the powders are combined, the technician combines them in an Unguator jar with the cream base and wetting agent. The Unguator jar is then attached to the Unguator (machine that thoroughly mixes the cream) which is left to mix for around five minutes.
   
   

5. The cream is then transferred from the Unguator jar to a Topi-Click dispenser. It is properly labeled and checked by the pharmacist. It is now ready for the patient to use!
   
   

At Southeast Compounding Pharmacy they fill a variety of different prescription creams; anything from pain management medications such as something with lidocaine (which is a topical numbing agent), to bio-identical hormones such as T3, Progesterone, Estrogen, or Testosterone. If you wish to learn more you can call the team (813)644-7700 or check out their website at southeastcompounding.com.