Compounding Specialists of Wyoming, located in Casper, has an old-fashioned idea about medicines.

A really old-fashioned idea.

For some people, and even some animals, mass-produced pharmaceuticals might not be the answer for what ails them. Better to tailor the medicine, and the delivery mechanism for the medicine, to a patient's unique needs.

Such specialized compounding probably dates to the Stone Age, when a healer might have ground up plants and bones with a pinch of charcoal to treat a clansman's cough.

And down through the ages, compounding medicines was the standard practice until the Industrial Age, when new and mass-produced drugs took over the marketplace.

But for people with special needs - who might be allergic to dyes or preservatives or who are sensitive to standard drug strengths - Michele Soulek, marketing director for Compounding Specialists of Wyoming, said made-to-order medicines can still be the answer.

Soulek said the idea for a specialized compounding service originated with the family cats. As cat owners know, felines can be very disagreeable patients. Try shoving a pill in their mouth, and they can suddenly develop a severe case of lockjaw.

"So I said, 'Gosh I wish they made something the cats would eat that I wouldn't lose half my blood supply from them scratching my arms up,'" Soulek recalled.

To which her husband Scott, a pharmacist, suggested the solution might be an alternative drug delivery mechanism.

As it turns out, there are a variety of drug delivery vehicles that can be superior to pills for some patients, both human and animal, including capsules, lozenges, creams and even lollipops.

Richard Johnson, the pharmacist in charge of Compounding Specialists, said the greatest demand is for hormonal replacements for women, followed by veterinary compounds that are not commercially available or are no longer commercially available. Medication strategies are developed in conjunction with, and are approved by, a doctor or veterinarian.

Johnson said some doctors are more receptive to individualized compounding than others. "A lot of it is how much the patient is willing to push the issue," he said.

Dr. Jim Morrison at All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in Casper is among those who need no persuading. He has used individualized compounds for years.

For cats that won't take pills without a fight, Morrison said a gel can penetrate the skin and take a drug with it.

"So rather than trying to poke a pill down a cat that doesn't want it, you can rub this medication on the inside of their ears," he said.

Some compounded drugs used for animals were formerly human drugs, but are no longer manufactured in large amounts.

In veterinary medicine, Morrison said specialized compounds are often used for such maladies as gall bladder problems in dogs and hyperthyroidism in cats.

"We're glad they are available because they do help out," he said.

Compounding Specialists of Wyoming is located at 2546 Second St. in the Hilltop Professional Plaza.

Johnson said the overall operation actually consists of three licensed pharmacies - Compounding Specialists and others that benefit small groups and long-term care facilities.

Compounding Specialists is a cash business, and whether or how medical plans will ultimately reimburse a client for the service varies.

Johnson said no other pharmacy in Casper specializes in compounding, but there are others that will compound substances when requested to do so.

Business Editor Tom Mast can be reached at tom.mast@casperstartribune.net. or call 307-266-0574.