Since opening over thirty years ago, Kare Pharmacy has grown from a small retail pharmacy to Southside Virginia’s premier local source for compounded medications.
Pharmacy compounding is the art and science of preparing personalized medications for patients. Compounded medications are “made from scratch” with individual ingredients mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient. This method allows the compounding pharmacist to work with the patient and the prescriber to customize a medication to meet the patient’s specific needs.
Kare’s compounding pharmacist, Prakash Suthar, and technicians have been specially trained and receive continuing education in sterile and non-sterile compounding through the Professional Compounding Centers of America. Prakash graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison pharmacy program. He opened up The Medicine Shoppe in 1984, which later became Kare Pharmacy in 2004. From 1996 to 2005, Prakash owned and operated Tejay Pharmaceuticals in Africa, which manufactured sterile eye drops and injectables and distributed them throughout Zambia and Malawi. He got into compounding to meet his patients’ needs, specifically parents who had difficulty administering medication to their young children.
Countless therapeutic possibilities exist when medications can be customized to meet the unique needs of a specific patient. Kare’s compounding pharmacy solves patient medication problems by using the highest grade of ingredients from FDA inspected and regulated facilities to formulate needed medications in the optimal strength and dosage for each patient.
Some still may wonder why compounding is preferable to traditional pharmaceuticals. There are several factors to consider. Transdermal formulations, for example, may offer significant advantages to traditional dosage forms. When a patient has difficulty swallowing, Kare can often formulate the needed drug as a transdermal gel or cream that will facilitate drug absorption through the skin. “Because each patient and his or her problems are unique, there is no monotony in compounding. Customization means every day is different and I welcome that challenge,” said Suthar.
Kare’s patient care coordinator Jennifer Arnold, who has worked for many years in retail pharmacy, enjoys the uniqueness of working in the compounding division. “Compounding allows me to be a problem solver,” she says. “We are able to work with the patient and prescriber until we reach the best possible outcome for the patient. This allows us to form greater and more meaningful relationships with our patients and local providers.”
With a dedicated staff and a commitment to excellent customer service, it’s no wonder that Kare Pharmacy has remained a fixture in the Danville region for thirty years. Their compounding services put them on the forefront of medical advancement and serve as a great resource for people in Southside Virginia.