Master formulations: what are they and in what cases are they used?

There are various diseases in Peru and the world that, due to their complexity, must be treated with individualized medications, tailored to the patient to promote their recovery. These drugs are called master formulations and in Peru they are regulated by the General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs (Digemid).

A master formulation is an individualized medication, or under your direction. Therefore, it is not produced on a large scale and is requested through a medical prescription, which details the composition required for its preparation.

“To obtain the master prescription, the patient must have been evaluated by a doctor, who makes the prescription. Unlike traditional medicines, the master formulation is adapted to the patient, ”explains Antonio Ortiz, pharmaceutical chemist and general manager of QF Farmacia Magistral.

Using master formulations offers a series of advantages:

1. Customize treatment: the masterful formulation allows to adapt the required doses to the needs of the patient. That way, you may receive more individual treatment to recover from your illness.

2. Flexible treatment: Using a master formulation allows for greater therapeutic efficacy in the treatment, allowing the mixtures (active ingredients) to be adapted according to your needs.

3. They reduce the tendency to self-medication: master formulas, by containing individualized treatment and doses, prevent patients from consuming more medication than they require.

In what cases are master formulations prescribed?

The health professional points out that compounding is a very useful activity in the field of pharmacotherapy, especially for

Thanks to it, medications can be prepared for a patient who cannot be treated with a type of drug for different reasons. For example, when some industrialized medicines have disappeared from the market or orphan or rare diseases are treated.

Likewise, it is prescribed when the; and certain intolerances arise due to allergies, atopic skin, chemical sensitivity, diabetes; or the required formula is not available.

Which professionals prescribe it more?

In Peru, dermatologists are health professionals who and other medical specialists such as pediatricians, gynecologists, otolaryngologists, etc. Depending on your need, you can use the master formulation within your therapeutic scheme.