I always enjoy news about innovative developments in pharmacy.
The article below tickled our interest.
The article details how Texas A&M has successfully developed a breakthrough compounding technique using 3D Printing to create patient-specific doses especially targeting children as an underserved patient segment.
First, there are many solid drugs where even the lowest manufacturer strength is inappropriate for children. Compounding has always been the go-to alternative in that case. Secondly, kids usually don’t like to take medicine….. and even a compounded liquid option is often a battle to administer.
Imagine if you will…. a compounded, dose-appropriate 3D tablet with a yummy tasting coating.
This sounds like a winner-winner chicken dinner option for many children.
Most specialty pharmacies don’t do compounding. However, there are about 7,500 compounding pharmacies in the US and 3D printing of certain drugs could be a great addition to their toolboxes. Whether 3D printing has a ‘fit’ in specialty pharmacy is not clear…. but, some visionary specialty pharmacist out there might be smarter than this commentator.
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3D Printing Could Create Tailored Medications for Children
Pharmacists and engineers at Texas A&M University, in College Station, have developed a 3D printing process capable of producing the exact dose of medication needed by a child, meant to be used in hospitals and pharmacies on an as-needed basis.
