The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that households in the United States have almost 80 million dogs and 96 million cats as pets. In addition, many households have other types of pets including fish, birds, and exotic animals. These pets regularly become close members of the family and we care for them as we would for children or siblings. Therefore, we always want to make sure our pets are as healthy as possible so they can enjoy their lives to the fullest.

It should come as no surprise to any pet owner that healthcare for their furry friend can be expensive. As a whole, pet owners can spend billions of dollars on an annual basis on routine preventative checkups, vaccines, emergency treatments, medications, and different types of treatments for a variety of medical conditions. While pets of any age can be diagnosed with medical problems, the costs of healthcare for our pets tends to increase as they age.

One common occurrence is that older pets may need to be on medications for a variety of conditions, including:

• Joints
• Immune system
• Cognitive
• Coronary
• Diabetes
• Cancer

Fortunately, veterinarians can prescribe medications that manage or improve medical conditions and can increase the quality and the length of your pet’s life. However, whether your pet needs one medicine for an infection or needs multiple medications on a long-term basis for a chronic illness, any pet owner can tell you that getting an animal to take a pill can be challenging or even impossible. In addition, getting a dosage right can be challenging for some standard medicines and the wrong dosage can cause uncomfortable side effects for your pet.

The good news is that our compounding pharmacy not only treats the human members of your families but your pets as well! We can do the following and more in regard to your pet’s medications:

• Design other applications of oral medications, such as topical gels or liquids
• Change the taste of an oral medication so your pet will like it
• Adjust the dosage of a medication
• Combine certain medications to cut down on the anxiety your pet may experience when you administer medicine

Call 856-323-8723 or stop by today for more information.

Whether you would like to discuss your own health, that of your family members, or of your pets, please do not hesitate to talk to our compounding pharmacists at Kress Specialty Apothecary today.

At Kress Specialized Apothecary, we pride ourselves on helping our patients fill their prescriptions in the ways that make the most sense for them as an individual. As a compounding pharmacy, we have much greater flexibility in the ways to fulfill these tasks, a flexibility that is a great boon for provider and patient alike. Compounding pharmacies are an alternative to the standard, and can work particularly well for physicians who take their patients’ unique needs into account. Here are a few ways in which we can be a support system to physicians and vets alike.

More Freedom in Filling Prescriptions. At a compounding pharmacy, you will be able to tailor your medication prescriptions directly to the individual who you are treating at any given time. You can change the dosage and delivery method depending on the needs of the particular case, tailoring them specifically for any manner of cases.

Range in Skills. There is a wide spectrum of tasks that compounding pharmacies are able to undertake: everything from changing a medication from a solid to a liquid, adjusting the flavor or taste, to building creams and sprays of particular medications for at-risk patients with prior conditions the doctor has identified.

Beyond the Box. If a particular medicine usually comes in a fixed dosage or method of delivery that doesn’t work for your patients, we can get past that at Kress Apothecary by making custom dosages and changing delivery methods. This is great for children or those who have difficulty swallowing pills, and can help to ease the headaches (figuratively and literally!) of patients used to fighting with the system to get their medications. Even if a medication is no longer commercially available, there is the possibility that a compounding pharmacy such as Kress will be able to supply that for you.

Specialty Medications. There’s nothing worse than needing to find an alternative, less effective medication because a patient cannot take the preferred medication because of something like a dye or preservative that’s not essential to the pill itself. With a compounding pharmacy, you will have the freedom to create a specialty medication that gets the correct medicine to your patient without a minor allergen getting in the way of their healing.

Think past the drug manufacturers for your patients and make sure that they get the exact care you intend by working with a compounding pharmacy. We have the ability to compound non-sterile products, and work with many physicians to get the standard of pharmaceutical care just what they have always wanted.

For additional information about our work and specialties here at Kress Apothecary, give us a call today at 856-323-8723, or you can even stop by. We are always happy to talk with healthcare providers and patients about our unique compounding services, and look forward to meeting you soon.

Millions of people develop melasma, a common skin condition that causes discoloration of the face each year and the overwhelming majority of those people are women, many of whom are pregnant. In fact, the brownish spots that often appear on the forehead or face have been referred to as the “mask” of pregnancy. These spots can develop for many different reasons, including the following:

• UV rays – Exposure of certain areas of the skin to sun can result in hypermelanosis that causes the darker pigment in certain spots on the skin.
• Hormones – While medical professionals have not exactly determined why hormonal changes (such as those during pregnancy) can encourage melasma to develop, however, there is little to no doubt there is a connection between hormones and the skin condition.
• Genes – Family members often have melasma, showing a genetic tendency.
• Other medical factors – Conditions such as thyroid dysfunction or ovarian dysfunction can increase the incidence of melasma, as can some cosmetics or photosensitizing medications.

Melasma does not cause itching or pain on the skin nor does it increase the chances of later developing skin malignancies such as melanoma. However, many people with melasma simply dislike the way the spots look and, therefore, seek treatment for the condition.

Treatment for melasma can vary with different treatments working better for different patients. Some of the most common aspects of treatment can include:

• Avoiding sun exposure – This is a necessity for anyone hoping to successfully treat their melasma, as any sun exposure can cause a recurrence of spots. Having a sunscreen with a very strong SPF is highly important for anyone treating melasma.
• Tailored topical agents – Topicals with the right combination of steroids, hydroquinone, and retinoids can be successful for melasma sufferers. The exact combination will depend on the patient, so compounding a specific formula can be extremely beneficial.
• Laser treatments or chemical peels – These treatments may cause serious skin irritation and also may result in a rebound of melasma that may be worse than the initial condition.

Because the skin is so delicate and skin irritation can cause many problems, it is important to find the exact right formula for your skin type that works to treat your melasma. Working with a qualified pharmacist who has experience compounding for melasma may not only increase your chances of recovery for your skin but will also limit the side effects that you experience from your treatment.

Call 856-323-8723 or stop by today for more information.

If you have any skin conditions such as melasma, you should not hesitate to discuss your treatment with your doctor or the compounding pharmacists at Kress Specialty Apothecary. Please call today or stop into our store for assistance.

As men get older, they will start to notice changes in their body’s functioning. If you are feeling fatigued, having sexual problems or no sex drive, or if your muscles or joints feel weak, your testosterone levels may have decreased. In some cases, testosterone therapy can be of great help for men suffering from low testosterone, also known as “Low-T.”

Signs of Low-T

Some indications that you may be suffering from lower-than-normal testosterone levels are as follows:

• Diminished or non-existent sex drive
• Weakness or fatigue
• Hair loss or thinning
• Erectile dysfunction and difficulty with sexual performance
• Decreased concentration and focus
• Depression, irritability, and other mood problems
• Aches or weakness in your bones
• Loss of muscle mass

While some men experience some of the above symptoms as a normal part of aging, others may be suffering from low testosterone levels and can greatly benefit from testosterone replacement therapy. In order to know whether or not you are suffering from Low-T, you should discuss the changes you have noticed with your doctor and they can order a blood test.

Testosterone replacement therapy products will help to replenish your level of testosterone and balance out the levels of hormones in your body. Ensuring that your hormones are balanced is an important aspect of everyone’s health.

A Variety of Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products

If you are prescribed testosterone replacement therapy, you then have a wide variety of products from which to choose. Different types of therapeutic products are better for different patients. The following are some examples of methods of this type of therapy:

• Patches that are applied to the skin on your upper body or arm
• Tablets that melt away and release hormones into your mouth tissue
• Gels that you can apply to your shoulders and arms and the hormones will absorb into your skin
• Injections into your muscles
• Pills (though these are not appropriate for everyone due to possible liver risks)

Before you begin a testosterone replacement therapy regimen, you should always discuss all of your options with a knowledgeable doctor or pharmacist to ensure you select the right one for you.

Call 856-323-8723 or stop by today for more information.

At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we are able to provide testosterone therapy products in a variety of forms and will always carefully review your options with you. We can control the dosage of your therapy and personalize it to fit your needs. If you would like to learn more, please stop by our location or contact us today!