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Text Box: Let’s start by talking about
compounding pharmacists. Compounding pharmacists are very special pharmacists. They are special because they make medications that you need but can’t get from pharmaceutical companies. Compounding pharmacists are especially important to women seeking Ovarian Replacement Therapy (ORT) because there are very few products from pharmaceutical companies that contain adult dosages of ovarian hormones. Compounding pharmacists make preparations that can provide appropriate adult levels so women can enjoy the health benefits of ORT.
Compounding pharmacists
have special equipment so they can mix ovarian hormones into creams, oils, capsules, lozenges, gels, and suppositories. This equipment is very expensive and compounding pharmacists have to attend special classes to learn how to mix medications into the different forms that you and your doctor decide is best for you.
Many doctors do not know how to order compounded medications and turn to compounding pharmacists to help them out. Helping your doctor find the best way for you to take your ovarian hormones is a very important part of a compounding pharmacists job. Remember, your doctor probably did not receive training on how to treat hypogonadism in women. Without practice in this field your doctor would not know how to prescribe

Text Box: compounded products, so be patient because your doctor is learning right along with you!
Compounding pharmacists make Ovarian Replacement Therapy (ORT) possible. Currently, there are no pharmaceutical companies making testosterone preparations in a dosage suitable for women. There is only one oral and one vaginal progesterone product available, and few dosage options. Of the estrogen products available, very few are in dosages that replace estrogen to adult levels. There are no products available that combine all of the ovarian hormones, estradiol, testosterone and progesterone.
Compounding pharmacists are the link between partial treatment for hypogonadism (menopause) and effective treatment. Using only estradiol or progesterone or a combination of the two is only partial treatment for ovarian failure.
Testosterone is an ovarian
hormone, equally as important as estradiol and progesterone. Without testosterone you can only have partial ovarian replacement because the ovarian hormones work together to keep you healthy. Even when the testosterone patch is approved in the United States many women will not be able to use it because they may be allergic to the adhesive in the patch or have oily skin so it won’t adhere well and it will come off when swimming or bathing. A compounding pharmacist is able to make testosterone preparations

Text Box: in many different forms. Without compounding pharmacists only partial replacement would be possible, not Ovarian Replacement Therapy (ORT).
We are very fortunate to have compounding pharmacists. Because of compounding pharmacists women are able to obtain ORT. With ORT women can have sexual function, sleep an entire night, have clearer thinking, improved muscle tone and balance, and maintain bone density, etc, all the things she had when she had ovarian function. Compounding pharmacists help women maintain their quality of life as their ovaries begin to fail (peri-menopause) and then finally fail (menopause). Because women can obtain ORT they are able to have a quality of life and health not possible using only commercially available FDA approved products.
Compounding pharmacists are a great resource but nothing is perfect. Compounding pharmacists are individuals who fill individual prescriptions and can make mistakes. It is important to follow up with blood tests periodically to verify that you are still receiving the dosage prescribed for you as well as making sure you are receiving an adult level of ovarian hormones. Finally, be sure to ask your doctor to use the medically correct word for menopause, hypogonadism, as insurance is far more likely to pay for hypogonadism than menopause, even though these words are medically equivalent.