For Release:
March 16, 2016
Contact:
Vanessa Rossi, Pharmacy’s Media Contact Team Leader, Marketing and Customer Relations Falls Pharmacy
Vanessa@Fallspharmacy.com
905-354-3883
1-866-FallsNF

Summary:
NIAGARA FALLS compounding pharmacist,Jennifer M. Schoenhals, RPh, BSc Phm, BBA, Pharm.D. of FALLS PHARMACY receives rating as Hormone Replacement Therapy Specialist.

NIAGARA FALLS, March 16, 2016 – Compounding pharmacist, JENNIFER M. SCHOENHALS, RPh, BSc. Phm, BBA, PharmD, of FALLS PHARMACY, has achieved the professional rating of Hormone Replacement Therapy Specialist (HRT Specialist) by completing a rigorous program of study, Comprehensive Core Concepts in Compounding, offered by PCCA. The course includes specialized study of ovarian anatomy, physiology and endogenous hormone function, laboratory tests and uses, clinical compounded treatment therapies, dosing guidelines and patient counseling.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a growing practice in pharmacy compounding, in which specialized pharmacists prepare customized medications for patients, by prescription order, when a practitioner determines that an off-the-shelf medication is not appropriate for the patient. HRT is most often prescribed to ease the symptoms of menopause, but it also can be used to treat a variety of conditions that women of all ages may experience, including:

• Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Irregular menstrual cycle
• Moodiness
• Infertility
• Post-partum depression
• Weight gain
• Endometriosis
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Sleep disturbances
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Decreased libido
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Vaginal dryness

These conditions affect millions of women. As the number of women seeking hormone-related treatment has grown, so has the mass production of pills, patches and creams by the drug industry. However, each woman’s body is different and has its own unique needs, but commercially manufactured products tend to be “one-size-fits-all,” and do not always account for the differences between individuals.

Working closely with a woman and her healthcare provider, a compounding pharmacist can help a woman start and maintain a hormone replacement regimen that brings her hormones back into balance and closely mimics what her body has been doing naturally for years. With a healthcare provider’s prescription, the pharmacist can prepare hormones in a variety of strengths and dosage forms, including:

• Capsules
• Topical or vaginal creams, gels, and foams
• Suppositories
• Sublingual drops or troches

Once the therapy is begun, the pharmacist will continue to work with the woman and her prescriber to make sure the HRT is working correctly, adjusting the dosage if necessary, ensuring that the medication is just right for her body.

PCCA is a complete resource for independent compounding pharmacies, including the profession’s most comprehensive training and professional education programs. The company’s members are nearly 4,000 independent community pharmacists in the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries around the world. PCCA was incorporated in 1981 by a network of pharmacists who recognized the need to help patients requiring customized medications. Those pharmacists became pioneers in the modern era of pharmacy compounding.