Posted on Thu, May 06, 2010 @ 04:10 PM
It has been postulated that a rise in the concentration of oxytocin causes contraction of cells around the alveoli and milk ducts, in preparation for suckling, and that lactation failure may result from insufficient oxytocin (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000;(2):CD000156). When the infant is suckled, afferent impulses from sensory stimulation of nerve terminals in the areolus travel to the central nervous system where they promote the release of oxytocin from the posterior pituitary. In the woman oxytocin release is often associated with such stimuli as the sight or sound or even the thought of the infant indicating a large cerebral component in this "neuroendocrine reflex". The oxytocin is carried through the blood stream to the mammary gland where it interacts with specific receptors on myoepithelial cells, initiating their contraction and expelling milk from the alveoli into the ducts and sub-areolar sinuses. The passage of milk through the ducts is facilitated by longitudinally arranged myoepithelial cell processes whose contraction shortens and widens the ducts, allowing free flow of milk to the nipple. The process by which milk is forcibly moved out of the alveoli is called milk ejection or let-down and is essential to milk removal from the lactating breast (Oxytocin and Milk Ejection - Margaret Neville). Oxytocin nasal spray has been used successfully to help treat for "the let-down effect" (Applied Therapeutic: The Clinical Use of Drugs. Sixth Edition; 1997: 44-29.).
Bayview Pharmacy, Rhode Island's premier compounding pharmacy, has the ability to compound oxytocin into a nasal spray.
Prescriptions will need to be written with the request to compound, and an example of how you might prescribe follows:
Compounded Medication
Oxytocin 40units/ml
Nasal Spray
30ml
Inhale 1 spray in both nostrils 2-3 minutes before nursing/pumping
We bill most major prescription drug insurances to keep your copays to a minimum. We also can ship anywhere in the USA, next day if need be.
For more information, please contact Ryan Dyer, RPh./Owner, M-F 9-6pm @ 401-284-4505, or fill out the "Ask the Pharmacist" form on our "About Prescription Compounding / Bayview Pharmacy" page.
Posted on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 03:28 PM
Recently the American Academy of Family Physicians released a list of warning signs concerning diaper rash. They recommend that diaper rash should be evaluated by a doctor when:
The rash breaks out when the baby is 6 weeks or younger.
The rash has small ulcers or pimples.
The rash is accompanied by fever, nodules or large bumps.
The infant doesn't look well or has lost weight.
The rash spreads beyond the diaper area, including to the scalp, face or arms.
The rash doesn't improve with treatment after a week.
In many cases a pharmacy that focuses in making specialized medications (i.e. compounding pharmacy), like Bayview Pharmacy, can assist you and your physician in identifying a proper treatment strategy for your child. A compounding pharmacy can identify medications that may help to treat your child's illness and develop a strategy that maximizes effectiveness, while limiting costs.
An example of how a compounding pharmacy could help to treat your child's diaper rash follows. Topical cholestyramine ointment has been identified as an agent that may help treat irritation due to bile acids. Topical mupirocin has been identified as an agent that has shown the ability alleviate diaper dermatitis and Candida. A compounding pharmacist has the ability to compound these two medications together, into one topical ointment. The advantages of such an ointment could be:
- Increased efficacy compared to either agent used individually
- Decreased amounts of medications being utilized due to a dual therapy product being applied
- Decreased medication costs due to the above
An example of how a physician might prescribe for this compounded medication would be:
Compounded Medication
Cholestyramine 10% / Mupirocin 2%
Topical Ointment
120gm
Apply to affected area TID or @ each diaper change
For more information about treating diaper rash or how prescription compounding may help you - contact us at your convenience.
Posted on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 @ 02:58 PM
There is currently a shortage of all commercially available strengths of azithromycin oral suspension. If you or your patients are having difficulty getting azithromycin (Zithromax, Z Pack) prescriptions filled at a retail pharmacy due to manufacture backorder, Bayview Pharmacy may be able to help.
Bayview Pharmacy, Rhode Island's premier compounding pharmacy, has the ability to compound azithromycin in the following strengths:
100mg/5ml Flavored Oral Suspension
200mg/5ml Flavored Oral Suspension
Customized strengths are also available!
Prescriptions will need to be written with the request to compound, and an example of how you might prescribe follows:
Compounded Medication
Azithromycin 100mg/5ml
Flavored Oral Suspension
30ml
5mls on day 1 followed by 2.5mls on days 2-5
We bill prescription drug insurances so insurance co-pays should not change. We also can ship anywhere in the USA, next day if need be. For more information, please contact Ryan Dyer, RPh./Owner, M-F 9-6pm @ 401-284-4505, or fill out the "Ask the Pharmacist" form on our "About Prescription Compounding / Bayview Pharmacy" page.
Posted on Mon, Oct 19, 2009 @ 04:14 PM
Recently UCLA Health Sciences released an article discussing ways to minimize the pain children experience while receiving a flu shot.
"The good news is that there are several techniques that parents can use to positively impact their child's experience when getting a needlestick-whether it's a flu shot, a childhood vaccine, or blood work," said Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer, director of the Pediatric Pain 
Program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA. "The key is to be creative and use the right combination of tactics depending on your child's age, the particular procedure being done and the child's fear level."
One of their suggestions is to "Ask your doctor for a prescription for a numbing cream...[to] put on the areas to be injected."
A compounding pharmacy is an outstanding place to inquire about having a numbing creamed prescribed for your child. Compounding pharmacies have the ability to custom make anesthetic creams that will meet the exact needs of your child. These compounded creams may differ from manufactured products in strength, composition, and/or delivery method.
The biggest difference is that a manufactured product is not made with your individual child's needs in mind, whereas a compounded product is. A compounding pharmacist is a great resource for you if your child suffers from allergies, or any chronic medical condition. Compounded medications can limit unwanted side effects, and make delivery of many medications much easier than there manufactured counterparts.
So if you are considering having your child receive the flu shot - or any type of needlestick - contact a compounding pharmacy to help limit his/her physical pain, and your psychological pain.
Posted on Wed, Oct 14, 2009 @ 06:46 PM
Recently, there have been several news reports about the increase in the incidence of autism in the USA. A diagnosis of autism can bring about a multitude of questions regarding the best treatment strategies for your child. While there is no known cure or "autism treatment", there are treatment approaches that may reduce some of the challenges associated with the condition.
A compounding pharmacy may be an excellent resource for parents of children diagnosed with autism. Compounding pharmacists have the capabilities to customize pediatric preparations that are easy to take, improve therapeutic outcomes, reduce side effects, and save patients time and money.
Compounding medications for children and adolescents allows for...
- ...unique delivery vehicles to be utilzed (i.e. topical cream, flavored lozenge, flavored oral solution); which makes administering the medication easier, more pleasant, and potentially more effective
- ...medicines to be concentrated based on individual need, which maximizes therapeutic outcomes while reducing side effects
- ...multiple medications, that have been shown to have modest effects individually, to be combined to form a more potent customized medication
Approaches for the improvement of autism and autism spectrum disorder may include any of the following medications (not an exhaustive list):
- Methylcobalamin
- Folinic Acid
- Naltrexone
- Melatonin
These medications can be prepared in a variety of forms including capsules, flavored oral solutions, transdermal gels, or injection solutions to name a few. To find out more, and to see if a compounded medication might be right for your child, contact a compounding pharmacy today.
Posted on Wed, Sep 23, 2009 @ 03:35 PM
Acne typically appears on your face, neck, chest, back and shoulders, which are the areas of your skin with the largest number of functional oil glands. Teenage and adult acne can take months or years to treat successfully. Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and lead to scarring of the skin.
Acne treatments work by reducing oil production, speeding up skin cell turnover, fighting bacterial infection, reducing the inflammation or doing all four. With the right treatment, you can keep acne under control. But what's the best acne treatment for you? Many options are available, including prescription creams and antibiotics, which target the various causes of acne. But even with the wide range of acne treatments, chronic breakouts may still be difficult to treat.
That's why working with a compounding pharmacist, can be an essential part of successful treatment strategy. Prescription compounding allows specially trained pharmacists to "custom make" acne medications for an individual patient, based on that patient's unique needs and symptoms.
Bayview Pharmacy's compounding pharmacists have the capabilities to customize dermatological preparations that improve therapeutic outcomes, reduce side effects, and save patients time and money.
Compounding medications for dermatological diseases allows for...
- ...unique delivery vehicles to be utilzed (i.e. topical cream, scalp lotion, nail lacquer); which makes administering the medication easier, more pleasant, and potentially more effective
- ...medicines to be concentrated based on individual need, which maximizes therapeutic outcomes while reducing side effects
- ...multiple medications, that have been shown to have modest effects individually, to be combined to form a more potent customized medication. This may speed the healing process and save patients valuable time and money, eliminating needlessly switching from one therapy to the next
Examples of medications that the pharmacists at Bayview Pharmacy might custom make to treat acne, either together or as monotherapy, include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and tretinoin to name a few.
Let us help you get the conversation started with your medical provider. Contact us via this simple form and we can help you determine what the most effective and efficient way is to solve this medical issue.
Posted on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 @ 07:36 PM
Vitamin D deficiency has been rediscovered as public-health problem worldwide. Growing evidence links vitamin D deficiency not only to weak bones but also to impaired immunity, asthma, and diabetes, among other problems. It has been postulated that vitamin D deficiency may explain a portion of the asthma epidemic.
The term "vitamin D" refers to several different forms of this vitamin. Two forms are important in humans: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Vitamin D2 is synthesized by plants. Vitamin D3 is synthesized by humans in the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from sunlight. Vitamin D2 is much less effective than Vitamin D3 in humans.
But how much is enough for my child? There are wide ranging opinions on how much vitamin D3 is necessary on an everyday basis. A recent study found that vitamin D3, at doses equivalent to 2,000 IU a day, is not only safe for adolescents, but it is actually necessary for achieving desirable vitamin D3 levels.
How do I get them to take it? One simple way to make sure your child is receiving the proper amount of daily vitamin D3 is to give them an oral supplement. This can sometimes be difficult, especially if your child has taste sensitivities, problems swallowing, or if they need a specific dose that is not commonly available. This is where a compounding pharmacy, like Bayview Pharmacy can help you.
Bayview Pharmacy's compounding pharmacists have the capabilities to customize pediatric preparations that are easy to take, improve therapeutic outcomes, reduce side effects, and save patients time and money. Bayview's compounding pharmacists use raw chemicals, powders, liquids and special equipment to make medications. This results in a customized medication made by a pharmacist, according to a doctor's directions, to meet an individual patient need.
So if you are child is suffering from hypovitaminosis D, and you have difficulty getting her to take the daily dose she needs, contact Bayview Pharmacy to see how we may be able to assist you.
*Update* Studies Show Taking Vitamin D Supplements May Cut Fall Risk After Age 65, if Dose Is High Enough.
*Update* Latest Analysis Confirms Suboptimal Vitamin D Levels in Millions of American Children.