Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy, the pioneer specialty compounding pharmacy in the Philippines, is bolstering its compounding pharmacy line to increase Filipinos’ awareness about the benefits of compounding medicines and offer alternative healthcare options, especially as more people pursue a healthier lifestyle amid the global health crisis.

Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy (AIP), has expanded its product portfolio to better address Filipinos’ medicine and healthcare needs. AIP now also offers a variety of categories comprising of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, weight loss management, intravenous nutrition, thyroid medication, erectile dysfunction, pain management, hair loss, dermatological preparation and further broadening its existing range to pediatric preparations and recently nutraceuticals which became essential for immune boosting during the pandemic.

To further make its products and services accessible to more Filipinos, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy has launched its website and e-commerce platform. Interested partners and customers may simply sign up for account registration on the website to make orders and payments. The platform also offers real- time updates to help them track their orders every step of the way, aside from informative content about compounding medicine.

“Filipinos have become more watchful of their health and safety than ever before, and we at AIP want to offer a wider range of solutions to help every Filipino achieve health and wellness, especially during these trying times. Our many years of experience in the compounding pharmacy field enabled us to develop and customize medicines and health products that are not only world-class standards but also and, more importantly, meet Filipinos’ health and medicine needs,” said Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy Chief Executive Officer Richard Lista.

Specialty compounding pharmacy

The country is currently the third-largest pharmaceutical market in the ASEAN region following Indonesia and Thailand with a steady annual growth of 4.5 percent, according to the ASEAN Pharma Report: Opportunities and Threats 2020 and Beyond. Ken Research also foresees the local pharmacy retail market to grow by 3 percent CAGR with generic medicines shoring up revenues. Increasing demand for maintenance medicines and growing health awareness due to the COVID-19 outbreak are also expected to push market growth.

Banking on its expertise in compounding — the science of customizing medications to a patient’s specific needs — Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy creates solutions that help advance pharmaceutical innovations in the Philippines. Through the compounding process, AIP is able to remove problem-causing excipients, adjust dosage strengths to make the product more suitable for patients such as infants or the elderly, add flavors for better taste and create alternative form factors such as lozenges, candies, gels, creams, capsules and liquid, thereby making the medicines easily ingestible.

Through compounding, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy also hopes to help address medicine shortages, a common scenario during surges such as in the case of COVID-19.

Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy was established in 2013 and obtained its license from the Philippine Food and Drug Association (FDA) in 2014, making it a pioneer in the industry. The pharmacy works hand in hand with registered licensed pharmacists internationally trained on compounding medicine. It also collaborates with international partners such as the Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA) and Medisca Australia.

As an FDA-licensed pharmacy, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy adheres to the regulations set by the Philippine FDA. Each compounded medicine is made with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) grade active ingredients to assure clients of high-quality products.

World-class compounded medicines

To produce high-quality medicines, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy compounds medicines in an ISO Class 5 and 7 cleanroom featuring biosafety cabinets, which are subject to regular third-party environmental testing. Its pharmacists use state-of-the-art compounding equipment, including a compounding-specific software that helps computerize workflow, profiles patients and doctors, and processes accuracy of mixtures.

Moreover, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy believes in the practice of the pharmacy triad or finding accountability with doctors, patients and pharmacists to provide superior and excellent care for patients. AIP works closely with its partner doctors, and when compounding we take into consideration factors such as patient age and allergy history that may affect drug suitability and efficacy.

To date, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy has served more than 13,000 patients, over 1,300 medical doctors and operates with more than 600 formulations for both sterile and nonsterile medications. This enables AIP to create specific solutions that will not only benefit patients but also support a doctor’s medical practice.

Since 2014, Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy has been a proud affiliate of several health organizations in the Philippines, including Atrium Solutions Inc., Klean Athlete Philippines, Reviv Philippines and Spectrum Innovations Inc. that handles Philippinr Distribution for global nutritional supplement brands, Pure Encapsulation and Douglas Laboratories. Through its network of affiliates, AIP is able to deliver its medical solutions to patients and doctors to different areas across the Philippines.

“We at Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy are positive that the country’s pharmaceutical market will remain strong and that compounding medicine will gain traction as more Filipinos seek a healthier lifestyle. We will continue to develop high-quality medicines and health solutions tailored to patients’ needs toward helping improve health and patient care in the Philippines,” said Lista.

To learn more about Apotheca Integrative Pharmacy and its services and products, visit its website at apotheca.com.ph or like and follow its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.