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Consumer Federation of the Southeast Lauds Industry Efforts to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse

"The widespread abuse of prescription drugs is a serious problem facing communities throughout the southeastern United States," said Dartland. "Health providers can be important partners in helping reduce the spread of abuse while ensuring the legitimate health needs of consumers and patients are met."

Dartland also added that, "creative solutions that benefit consumers and patient care, such as compound pharmacies, are part of positive new evolutions in health care."

One such company, Compound Care Pharmacy, based in Alabama, is meeting its patients' needs by formulating customized medications tailored to meet each individual's unique characteristics. In an effort to reduce dependence on highly addictive medications such as Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin, in appropriate cases, the company is customizing prescriptions in a topical form instead of pill.

"As a provider of compounded medication and prescription drugs to many patients, we are sensitive to the widespread abuse of prescription drugs and are working to offer a range of treatment options that meet our patients' unique needs," said Ashley Hammond, R.Ph., owner, president and supervising pharmacist of Compound Care Pharmacy.

Compounded medications are prescriptions that are written by physicians and other legally authorized prescribers and prepared for an individual patient by a specially trained pharmacist.

"Compounding medications have been a very useful addition to our practice. Not only does it allow us to combine medications we know will be effective, it delivers them directly to the site with much fewer side effects and drug interactions," said J. Michael Burdine, MD., founder of The Spine Diagnostic & Treatment Center in Louisiana.

Compound prescriptions are provided to children who need smaller doses of medicine, to patients who cannot tolerate certain ingredients in manufactured medicines or to seniors who metabolize medications differently.

Prescription drug abuse is the nation's fastest-growing drug problem according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The CFSE urges consumers to educate themselves about viable options, such as compound pharmacies, when in need of prescription pain medications and they should ensure the provider is fully accredited. For more information about accredited compound pharmacies, please visit www.pcab.info.

The Consumer Federation of the Southeast is a not-for-profit consumer advocacy group founded in 2003.

Consumer Federation of the Southeast
Alia Faraj, 850-222-1996