This Profile in Personalized Medicine highlights Ashley Barton, CPhT, Director of Compounding Operations of Peoples Rx in Austin, Texas, which is owned by Bill Swail, RPh. Ashley has been compounding for 18 years, and Peoples Rx has been a proud PCCA member since 1985.

When did you learn about compounding? Why did you start?

Science has always fascinated me. I always knew I wanted a career in the medical field, but I wasn't sure which area I wanted to specialize in. My college counselor recommended I obtain an internship in pharmacy. Taking that advice, I started an internship at Peoples Rx in 2003 while attending the University of Texas. I majored in nutrition while also leading a compounding team at a pharmacy with a flourishing wellness department. I fell in love with my job.

What do you find most fulfilling about compounding?

Customizing medication to meet every patient’s needs, whether that be a preferred base or flavor—as simple as that sounds—is what's most fulfilling to me, but especially helping children who are on the autism spectrum. In my first few years of compounding, our pharmacy worked with children who needed their vitamins and supplements formulated. Being able to provide these children with a dosage form flavored to their liking and hearing from the parents of their vast improvements just made my heart smile. I believe working with health care clinics to customize children’s medications is what paved the road to my future — 18 years and counting in compounding. Today, I hear these same stories with our patients who are prescribed low-dose naltrexone, and I cannot tell you enough how great it is to hear how our custom compounds are changing lives and how rewarding that feels. Compounding saves lives; there is nothing more fulfilling than knowing your job has that kind of impact.

What are some of your favorite PCCA formulas?

Two of my favorite PCCA formulas are #10826 and #13654. Firstly, PCCA Formula #10826 (a combination of medications in the PCCA base PracaSil ^®-Plus), because it’s often prescribed for patients who need help with dermatologic concerns, melasma and acne. PracaSil-Plus alone does wonders in that it helps improve the appearance of dark spots and scarring. Adding active ingredients such as fluocinolone acetonide, hydroquinone and tretinoin to PracaSil-Plus has helped patients with these concerns

The other I often choose is PCCA Formula #13654, which also uses PracaSil-Plus, because practitioners commonly prescribe it for patients with acne. Recently, we have been seeing quite a few patients with maskne — acne caused or made worse by wearing face masks a lot. This formulation, having already been prescribed for patients with adolescent and other types of acne, is now a common prescription from practitioners to help patients with this new phenomenon.

What advice would you give to a new compounder?

Be creative, but stay compliant. Keep up to date with the regulatory changes that are happening with USP and the FDA. PCCA is great in keeping you informed with their amazing Public Affairs team. Listen in on PCCA’s free calls. There is so much value and so many clinical pearls from PCCA's Power Hour marketing calls to their Public Affairs calls. Lastly, network as much as possible. PCCA's yearly International Seminars as well as their other educational seminars provide the perfect platforms to do so.