As pharmacy has evolved, the one component that still remains has always been our ability to compound and reformulate drugs to help our patients. When I think pharmacy, the first thing that always comes to mind is the mortar and pestle and its symbolism. It seems like a new concept nowadays but patient specific medicine has been around as long as the pharmacist has. Drugs when there were no brand names and productions by huge manufacturers was left up to the pharmacist. Everything from the amount of drug, to the excipients, the flavor, and the route of administration were all determined by the patient, physician, and pharmacist together.
Fast-forward to today, compounding medications and reformulating is a very scarce service offered with the advent of mass drug manufacturing. Yet, even though one can almost find anything they need nowadays, there are still some patient populations who seek to benefit from compounding services, one being horses.
The Need
Horses for a long time have been a difficult animal to treat through standard means of manufactured drugs. Most animal medicine is geared towards dogs and cats which are comparatively far more smaller and weigh less. The routes of administration often differ as well which makes it difficult to obtain certain medications for horses from just a regular human pharmacy and even a veterinarian. It has been within the past 10 years that many companies have sought to expand their services to including horses and larger animals.
“There are a number of instances in which compounding could be beneficial or necessary,” she explains. “In the equine market, particularly, there are a limited number of drugs commercially available for horses.” She said there are more commercial options for the small animal population, probably due to the greater number of cat and dogs in this country, as op-posed to horse owners”.
This in combination with the number of advances that have occurred with regard to diagnostic devices and medical care for horses has expanded our understanding of other conditions horses must be treated for. Whether it is for a race horse or just leisure horses, medicine has advanced and all animals just like humans deserve to get the care they require.
Medications Commonly Compounded for Horses
There are many medications prepared specifically for horses. This can be because a horse has an allergy to a certain excipient, the medication may be too bitter to take orally, or the forms available may not be suitable for that specific horse. Common reformulations include taking tablets and mixing them into pastes which are easier to give to horses. Additionally, flavoring is a huge factor to consider when giving a horse any medication. Antibiotics in specific can be very bitter even when mixed in feeds and horses will not consume the medication. This can be a grave barrier to therapy. The medication can be flavored to tastes a horse may prefer such as banana, cherry, or carrot flavoring. These are just a few instances where compounding is important but other medications I will include below for completion:
Sports, Show, and Race Horses
- Acetyl-D-Glucosamine
- Dexamethasone
- Pentosan
- Cacodylate
- Estrone
- Phenylbutazone
- Corticotropin LA
- FHS
- Pyrimethamine/Sulfadiazine
- Dantrolene Sodium
- Flunixin Meglumine
- Trichlormethiazide/Dexamethasone
- DCA 700
- Methocarbamol
General Equine Practice
- Acepromazine Maleate
- Enrofloxacin
- Phenylbutazone
- Acetyl-D-Glucosamine
- Flunixin Meglumine
- Pergolide
- Chloramphenicol Palmitate
- Gentamicin
- Pyrimethamine/Sulfadiazine
- Cisplatin beads
- Griseofulvin
- Ranitidine
- Cyproheptadine
- Isoxsuprine
- Trichlormethiazide/Dexamethasone
- Dexamethasone
- Meclofenamate
- Doxycycline
- Pentoxifylline
Reproductive Veterinary Medicine/Theriogenealogy
- Altrenogest
- Flunixin Meglumine
- Medroxyprogesterone
- Azithromycin
- Folic Acid
- Pentoxiyfylline
- Clarithromycin/Rifampin
- Gentamicin
- Phenylbutazone
- Enrofloxacin
- Griseofulvin
- Progesterone
- Estradiol Cypionate
- Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate
- Ranitidine
Conclusion
Horses are just as important as cats and dogs when it comes to their health and well-being. Compounding is a crucial service we can offer to make sure we meet that expectation. Thanks for reading. I hope this was helpful!
Best,
Walker C. Brown
