2017-2018

A lot happened during 2017, and we can probably expect much of the same in 2018. Not all is negative, as there are some very positive trends in place, especially in increased quality procedures and state board of pharmacy activities.

• The quality of compounding continues to increase as evidenced by the number of analytical laboratories supporting compounding and their increased workloads.
• State boards of pharmacy are becoming more active in establishing regulations and standards in their respective states.
• Pharmacies are implementing personnel protection procedures in pharmacies to meet new state board regulations regarding handling hazardous drugs.
• Pharmacy compounding is being addressed more within states for both nonsterile and sterile compounding.
• FDA intrusion into state pharmacies seems to be decreasing as more state boards of pharmacy are more active in regulating their individual states.
• An area to be addressed is to assist some state boards of pharmacy that may possess limited knowledge of the extent and importance of compounding in serving patient needs. We all can step up and help in this area.

International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding (IJPC)

IJPC was established 22 years ago to support quality pharmacy compounding. Currently, IJPC has the following to offer all compounding pharmacies (independent, hospital, chain, specialty, consulting, etc.).

IJPC contains several sections within each issue generally comprising of (1) Editorials, (2) Features, (3) Formulations, (4) Basics of Compounding (Sterile and Nonsterile), (5) Quality Control, (6) Peer Reviewed scientific studies, and others. With distribution in over 80 countries throughout the world, including all major healthcare centers/facilities in the U.S., IJPC also provides the following:

• Print and electronic versions of IJPC
• Information (provided in response to compounding questions via e-mail or telephone )
• www.ijpc.com website where specific articles and types/categories of articles can be searched and read.

NOTE: If there is any topic not yet covered in IJPC that needs to be covered, let us know, and we will enlist appropriate individuals to prepare and publish the most current information.

COMPOUNDINGTODAY.COM

In 2000, IJPC developed and introduced the world's largest independent, interactive compounding database website "CompoundingToday.com".

Currently included in this website is the following:

NOTE: This database is interactive with the completely referenced/documented formulations. Also included are formulas for drugs in short supply and many other items to support compounding.

OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED BY IJPC

• Compounders' Network List (A forum for subscribers to interactively communicate)
• Weekly Newsletter (Published on Fridays and sent worldwide with a readership of about 100,000)

IJPC IS ABSTRACTED/INDEXED IN (BUT NOT LIMITED TO):

• MEDLINE/PubMed
• International Pharmaceutical Abstracts
• CINAHL
• Chemical Abstracts
• Elsevier Bibliographic Databases, including:
  • Compendex
  • EMBASE
  • EMNursing
  • GEOBASE
  • Mosby Yearbooks
  • Scopus

We look forward to an active 2018, supporting pharmaceutical compounding and the compounding of quality medications for patients.

NOTE: If you wish to subscribe or need help navigating the online websites www.ijpc.com and/or www.compoundingtoday.com you can email Deb at dmehlhaff@ijpc.com or call the IJPC office between 9-4 CST at 800.757.4572 x1.

Loyd V. Allen, Jr., PhD, RPh
Editor-in-Chief
International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding
Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy Twenty-second edition

Did You Know ...

�that we tend to spend money on things we want, not things we need?

Tip of the Week

It seems that (possibly) the majority of money spent in a family today is on things wanted, not things needed. Is it really necessary to buy much of what we purchase? How about spending money on securing one's future...preparing for an unforeseen catastrophe (flood, fire, accident, etc.)...saving and preparing for retirement, etc.?

My parents, who have recently passed away, were excellent examples of preparing for the future; saving until you can actually afford something; and, taking care of the more important things in life. They planned ahead, even for their funerals, etc. This has made it much easier on my brother and me as we have been going through the process of their funerals, burials, etc. They planned well throughout their entire lives and taught us to do the same. However, what I see in our society today in the "I want it all now!" syndrome, means that there are millions of individuals who are unprepared for the future and will become a burden on others. We must educate our families, friends, and others on financial preparedness, responsibility, and patience.

IJPC Now on Facebook and Youtube

Become a fan of the IJPC Facebook page and share ideas, photos, and keep up to date with the latest compounding information - http://www.facebook.com/IJPCompounding

View our growing collection of educational and training videos at www.ijpc.com/video or by subscribing to our Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/IJPCompounding.

Looking Back

His brush is gone,
So what'll we do?
Said Mike Robe I
To Mike Robe II!
     Burma Shave