Difference Between Compounded Semaglutide Injections and Pills

1.What are compounded semaglutide injections and pills?

Compounded Semaglutide Injections and Pill- Picture courtesy: Yahoo

Compounded semaglutide means the medication with ‘semaglutide’ as an active pharmaceutical ingredient that is not formed by a manufacturing company rather trained health personnel are involved in its preparation.

However, when it comes to considering the semaglutide, it is actually a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, and it mainly works by stimulating the GLP-1 receptor. By this, your body minimizes the urge to eat food as you don’t feel hungry when taking it, also, it enhances your insulin production by lowering the level of sugars inside your blood.

The making of semaglutide injections and pills is mainly done by a registered pharmacist and is often required when you need customized medicine or FDA-approved medicines are limited in the market.

2.Why do you need compounded semaglutide injections and pills?

Nevertheless, compounded semaglutide injections and pills are worthwhile formulations, but sometimes one might be thinking that if the brands are available then why there’s need for compounded injections and pills? Of course, there is a need for it! We have described the following reasons that you must go through to know the exact goal.

Dosage design of semaglutide

Dosage design of semaglutide – Picture courtesy: Knowles Apothecary

Every brand and manufacturing of semaglutide injections and pills is based on the specific formulation with exact dosage. The semaglutide injection doses are 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg. However, the semaglutide pills are available in 3 mg, 7 mg, and 14 mg.

What if you need some customization? In many cases patients break the doses, they can use half of the injection then store for 3 to 4 days and the remaining medication is administered after that. Consequently, the same method is used in the case of pills. But it is of course not a reliable and recommended method due to many other reasons such as inaccuracy, affected potency, etc.

In that case, a registered pharmacist helps you formulate compounded semaglutide injections and pills to offer a promising therapeutic profile.

An inexpensive solution

Affordable- Picture courtesy: nmrmed

This is well known to you that whatever you prepare yourself or manually would be quite affordable than grabbing a brand. The pharmacies and hospital practices are considered to be reliable and economical to compound the semaglutide injections and pills and they provide you with a low budget. Therefore, it is also needed to minimize your treatment cost than commercially available injections and pills.

No more risk for allergies & unwanted preservatives

Safe for you- Picture courtesy: Ivim Health

The commercially available medications are formulated with unwanted preservatives and excipients to make your medicines stay longer and more effective. The compounded semaglutide injections and pills in this case are free from undesirable materials. Also, prior preparation of individual doses, the patient or user history is taken into account with their common sensitivity tests. Therefore, pharmacists can compound the medicine that is relatively free from allergic substances and thus you can enjoy the safe medication without any side effects.

No Need To Make A Dose Adjustment

No Need To Make A Dose Adjustment- Picture courtesy: Valor Compounding

The compounded semaglutide injections and pills are already tailored based on user weight, requirement, age, etc. therefore, it offers ease of use without formulation and estimating the dosage plan. You can safely use regular medication that suits you the best.

3.What is the difference between compounded semaglutide injections and pills?

The major differences between compounded semaglutide injections and pills are discussed in the mentioned points:

Compounding

Compounding- Picture courtesy: StatNews

Compounding itself is the preparation of specific tailor-made medication. When you are compounding semaglutide injections and pills, it is required to have a controlled environment including controlled units such as a bio-safety cabinet, sterile tools, packaging materials, etc. that the preparation takes place in a cleaned medium.

Compounded Semaglutide Injections

When the patient requires the customized formulation or dosage of semaglutide injection, you can perform dilution of semaglutide active pharmaceutical ingredients and mix it with a vehicle such as purified water. In some cases, the doses are mixed with either water or normal saline. It all depends upon the decision-making before compounding the injection.

Compounded Semaglutide Pills

Regarding compounded semaglutide pills,  you can take the active ingredient of semaglutide powder which is mixed with the binder for a stable semaglutide pill. It is also handled by using the mixing procedure such as trituration, etc. However, the prepared mixture is then transformed into a semaglutide pill by the use of a manual pill press machine.

Mechanism of Action

Mechanism of Action- Picture courtesy: Invigor Medical

The compounded semaglutide injections and pills are associated with the same mechanism of action. For example, the stimulation of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor. When you are eating a meal, the receptor is mainly located in the stomach cells (enteroendocrine cells) which are responsible for sending signals for insulin release and lowering of glucagon.

Consequently, you feel that your stomach is full and you do not crave further food. So it helps in controlling your blood glucose level as well as limit uncontrollable weight gain. Therefore both of these formulations are considered as an ideal new approach for treatment.

Compounded Semaglutide Injection

When you administer an injection, it directly enters your blood circulation and starts producing action. The compounded injection active pharmaceutical ingredient rapidly produces an action that remains consistent for the long term with almost greater efficacy.

Compounded Semaglutide Pills

Compounded semaglutide pills first go to your gastrointestinal tract where the absorption at different levels takes place. Therefore rapid therapeutic action is not possible. Moreover, the drug or the active ingredient that you are taking is somewhat degraded by gastric secretions. Once the compounded semaglutide pills reach the active sites in your small intestine, they bind with target receptors and produce a desirable therapeutic response.

Dose

Doses- Picture courtesy: Klarity Health

The compounded semaglutide injections and pills are definitely meant to offer you different or alternate doses. The reason is, that the already available doses by the manufacturer are not suitable for your application due to certain reasons. However, the doses of compounded injections and pills are different. You can't offer the same doses for both formulations.

Compounded Semaglutide Injections Dose

Compounding of semaglutide dose

The typical semaglutide injections are available with dose strengths of  0.25 mg, and 0.5 mg, therefore the compounded dose must be either half of it, for example: 0.125 mg.   However, the decision is based on your history, tolerance, and body mass. Although the therapeutic effects it gives are exactly what you receive from the branded formulations.

The recommended dose for compounded semaglutide injection is 0.05 mg followed by weekly subcutaneous administration which is 5 units as an initial dose. Once you receive a positive response it is increased by increasing 10 units or as prescribed by our prescriber, such as 0.10 mg,  0.20 mg, 0.30 mg, and so on.

Compounded Semaglutide Pill Dose

The studies and manufacturing companies suggest that compounded semaglutide pill doses must be started initially at 3.5 mg which slowly and gradually increases depending on your body’s response. Moreover, in some cases, if half of the dose is required, it is compounded by breaking the dose effectively. Side by side, the intermediate dose is 7 mg which is then switched and maintained on 14 mg for effective glycemic control and weight control.

Potency

Potency- Picture courtesy: Hormones Fitness

Studies have confirmed that compounded semaglutide injections and pills seem to have equally potent effects as an activation of GLP- 1 receptor. Although, there are some slight variations in the potency that we have evaluated just right below.

Compounded Semaglutide Injection Potency

When you are preparing compounded semaglutide injection in the pharmacy, the potency of the injection is based on dose designing, the handling of a pharmacist, and how it is administered.

If all these parameters are perfectly followed then consistent and reliable active substances are transfused into your body. It is observed that compounded semaglutide injections perfectly show an effective therapeutic profile with greater potency.

Compounded Semaglutide Pill Potency

As compared to semaglutide injection, compounded semaglutide pills are shown to have a low rate of absorption. So the comparative analysis between semaglutide injections and pills could lead to the speculation that compounded pills have lesser potency as compared to injections.

Limitation

Limitation- Picture courtesy: Hers

The compounded semaglutide injections and pills have almost similar limitations in your physiological system. But yes, there are slight differences described below:

Compounded Semaglutide Injections Limitation

The compounded semaglutide injections may cause some allergic reactions at the site of your injection. Also, patients avoid compounded semaglutide injections due to aversion or fear related to sharp needles and pricking themselves.

Compounded Semaglutide Pill Limitation

The main issue with compounded semaglutide pills is that you have to take them every day. It should be taken on an empty stomach and you have to wait for 30 minutes. This issue bothers many of the patients to follow a similar regime in their daily routines. Moreover, patients also feel some GI discomfort with semaglutide pills.

Cost

Cost- Picture courtesy: Women’s world

When it comes to considering the cost of compounded semaglutide injection and pills, it means how much, the raw material, time, and preparation skills of the technician cost you. Indeed pricing policy of the compounded formulation is quite less than commercially available products but it is also depends on the pharmacies and their policies.

Compounded Semaglutide Injections Cost

When you are compounding semaglutide injection, you will require a highly advanced BSL unit, treated purified water, prefilled injections, and sterile pharmaceutical control rooms. By this, the total expense of the formulation peaks up higher.

Compounded Semaglutide Pills Cost

In the case of compounded semaglutide pills, you require active ingredients, fillers, or bulking agents with a pill-pressing machine. Subsequently, compounded semaglutide pills significantly cost you less than semaglutide injection.

4.Is this safe to take compounded semaglutide injections and pills?

Compounded semaglutide injections and pill- Picture courtesy: Dunwoody Pharmacy

Its answer is a little bit tricky and we can't claim for sure. The FDA does not assess the safety protocol and effectiveness of compounded semaglutide injections and pills. However, it doesn’t mean that they are not safe or effective. Rather, it has its own significance in many ways in the field of medicinal sciences.

Some pharmacies are well maintained with excellent outsourcing facilities that are certified by international regulatory bodies such as the FDA. Such sections are regularly inspected and claimed with trustworthy standards. In this case, under following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) can offer effective and safe compounded semaglutide injections and pills.

However, not every pharmacy is certified by regulatory bodies and works under a local state of law. Here, the rate of the compounded formulation is somewhat not as reliable as FDA-accredited sectors. Therefore, keep in mind that not all compounded pharmacy formulations are formed with similar patterns and standards. Therefore, some compounded semaglutide injections and pills are not as effective as expected.

5.What are the risks of using compounded semaglutide injections and pills?

In addition, with so many benefits discussed above, there are some risks linked to compounded semaglutide injections and pills.

Unknown purity standards of ingredients

Unknown purity standards of ingredients- Picture courtesy: NMR med

Some pharmacies are reliable while others may be not capable enough to maintain FDA regulation. Therefore, the active ingredients used in compounding may be exactly not meet with desirable potency and not able to produce the therapeutic effects you expect. Studies conducted by Novo Nordisk confirmed that about 33% of impurities are identified from compounded semaglutide injections and pills.

The risk for contamination is high

Risk For Contamination- Picture Courtesy: Harvard Health

You always need to install and maintain a pharmaceutical control system to carry out compounded semaglutide injections and pills. That’s the reason, research claims that 45% recalling of compounded medication is mainly caused by poor working conditions.

Error in Doses

Dose error- Picture courtesy: Olympia Pharmaceutics

Of course, the exact doses by manufacturing companies are way more accurate than compounded semaglutide injections and pills. This is because the compounding formulation is always at the risk of some variation in exact doses and measurement.

Conclusion

Semaglutide is a potent medication that is marketed all across the globe and approved by FDA. Although compounded semaglutide injections and pills are a good solution where you can achieve a tailor-made medication prepared by a certified pharmacist under a controlled regulatory body. In this article, we hope you’ve explored in-depth discussion related to the difference between semaglutide injections and pills. If you still have any queries, we suggest you contact the AIPAK ENGINEERING team directly. Why us? We are the experts in offering guidance, related solutions, and a broad series of involved machines for semaglutide preparation. To know more, just message to start communication.