Ramona Pharmacy Now Offers Pharmaceutical Compounding
By Jim Evans

Bryan Woods owner of Ramona Pharmacy. Photo by Darrel Kinney

As far as he knows, Bryan Woods is the only "compounding" pharmacist in Ramona.

Most Ramona residents, of course, know Woods as the longtime owner of Ramona Pharmacy at 677 Main St., but he continues to add new dimensions to his already extensive repertoire of services.

An astute businessman, as well as a licensed pharmacist since 1975, Woods was recently afforded the opportunity to obtain a book of business from Pomerado Compounding Pharmacy when it closed. He had dabbled in compounding over the years but to take full advantage of the opportunity available to him, Woods enrolled in a week-long compounding training course in Houston, Texas, hosted by the Professional Compounding Centers of America - the largest pharmaceutical compounding organization in the world - where he became certified in compounding techniques.

"Many patients are allergic to preservatives or dyes or are sensitive to standard drug strengths," Woods explained. "A compounding pharmacist can change the strength of a medication (with a physician's prescription), alter its form to make it easier for the patient to ingest, and add flavor to make it more palatable. A compounding pharmacist can also prepare medication using several unique delivery systems such as lozenge, lollipop, or transdermal gel. Preparing these customized medications allows compounding pharmacists to achieve the ultimate goal of helping the physician and patient achieve a more positive therapeutic outcome.

Woods has a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from San Diego State University and a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from the University of Wyoming.

"My background in chemistry has helped me immensely in the compounding lab," he said. "I have learned so many dosage forms to aid patients in obtaining good results with difficult dosing problems. The focus of my compounding practice is the partnership formed with the patient the physician, and the pharmacist to solve difficult problems concerning your medications. My specialties are bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, pain management (external issues), dermatological preps for skin disorders, wound careand hospice compounds, and veterinary compounding with full flavor and dosage solutions."

One of my goals is to become a major resource for diabetic counseling. It is a huge problem and growing exponentially. As a pharmacist, I am readily available for conversation and problem-solving. Having an arsenal of information in compounding, drug counseling, diabetic counseling, wellness and hormone replacement therapy will provide me with the professional tools to help a diverse population of patients."

Woods admitted that Medicare Part D has been a unique challenge for most pharmacists.

"I have personally attended six different classes on Medicare Part D so far and I'm still learning," he said. "It has been very confusing for many patients, so we specialize in problem-solving. Ramona Pharmacy accepts all medicare Part D plans, but there are many nuances in working with Medicare."

In his typical commonsense approach, Woods observed that "Medicare requires generics whenever possible so if a drug is not covered, talk to us about calling your physician to change to a medicine that will accomplish the same thing but is covered by your plan."

With an established reputation for going the extra mile to help his customers, Woods continues to tweak the role of his pharmacy.

"I think the difference is the availability of the pharmacist," he said, unabashedly. "I am here to solve your medical issues, either with counseling or recommending over-the-counter medications to help out in difficult situations. We stock a full department for post-op wound care management, ostomy supplies, orthopedic braces, support stockings, and a full line of hospital equipment. We have staff that is trained in each area to assist our patients, and we specialize in good medical outcomes."

Compounding is part of a continuing effort to provide the customers of Ramona Pharmacy with more value for their trust.

In layman's terms, it's called customer service.