Unlike most kids, Robert Moore spent his days after school and in the summer at the pharmacy. His father, Bill Moore, has owned and operated Moore’s Pharmacy in Sinton since 1965.

After graduating from pharmacy school at the University of Texas in Austin, Moore purchased McKennon’s City Drug, located in Beeville, in 1992 and renamed it Moore’s City Drug. Moore spent the next five years filling prescriptions like most druggists.

A chance introduction to the art of pharmaceutical compounding by a Professional Compounding Centers of America individual caused him to pause and ultimately to approach his life’s work differently.

“Sometimes commercially available drugs simply don’t meet the specialized needs of patients, and that is where pharmaceutical compounding can provide solutions,” Moore says.

Just as “one size fits all” simply isn’t true when shopping for clothing, drugs, too, can interact with individual physiologies in different and unexpected ways.

“Through developing and delivering specialized customized medications, I could affect people’s lives, and that really appealed to me,” Moore recalls.

Pharmacists relied primarily on compounding before commercial drugs were available. As an ageless art, compounding combines the latest medical knowledge with state-of-the-art technology so specially trained professionals can prepare customized medications to meet each patient’s specific needs.

“Sixty years ago, very few over-the-counter or commercial drugs were available, and pharmacists would have to mix different drugs together to create a specialized medication,” Moore says. “Back then, they had limited access to finished products.”

For thousands of years, people have turned to plants and minerals for their healing properties. Some were poisonous and ineffective, while others presented positive benefits.

During the Middle Ages, priests and doctors began combining – or compounding – a variety of items to create even more potent and effective concoctions to cure illnesses and injuries.

In the 1600s, neighborhood compounding pharmacies in Europe became commonplace and a standard means of providing a broad range of products that were commonly used.

With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, so came the departure of the traditional mortar and pestle, Moore explains of pharmacists worldwide, changing the face of pharmaceutical compounding forever.

“The small neighborhood compounding pharmacy was largely done away with as medications were being produced in mass quantities by machinery,” Moore says. “Nowadays, a pharmacy’s business is comprised mostly of a patient going to a doctor, a doctor writing a prescription for a commercially manufactured medication and the pharmacist filling the prescription.”

Initially, Moore spent very little time learning about compounding.

“In pharmacy school, you spend most of your time learning what a medication does, its dosage and side effects, not how to combine them,” Moore says.

After conducting a lot of research, Moore knew compounding drugs was both the industry’s past and its future. It would not only open the door to new business, but also truly help many in his community in need of specialized care.

“I wanted to offer people an alternative to the common prescription drugs and to educate them on how they can overcome various disease states through proper nutrition instead of just taking commercially prescribed medications to treat the disease,” Moore says. “My goal has always been to help one patient at a time and to give each the opportunity to enjoy the best health possible.”

Moore’s business has grown by leaps and bounds during the last decade after adding compounding to the mix. His growing staff of nine pharmacists, 12 technicians and 40 office staff members at his three pharmacies in Beeville, Sinton and his newest in Corpus Christi, helps thousands of patients each year. They work in state-of-the-art clean rooms and climate-controlled workstations to keep the drugs from affecting technicians.

Moore attributes a large part of his success to a dedicated and talented team working together to provide the best in patient care.

“Everyone on our team understands the goal is to take care of patients, and each works diligently in his or her own special way to accomplish that,” Moore says.

Although the benefits of compounding are lesser known, Moore strongly believes they are invaluable to clients looking for options to standard therapy.

“Compounding affords us the opportunity to provide specialized medications through capsules, creams, troches, sub-lingual tablets, ophthalmics, injectables and various other means,” Moore says.

Pure drug forms can be incorporated into topical forms like lotions. When applied to the skin, the active ingredient is absorbed directly into the blood supply, bypassing the GI tract and liver. This quick process can provide much-needed relief for pain, anxiety, nausea and vomiting.

Other unique dosage forms not commercially available include “chewies” and lollipops. Medications free of problem-causing dyes, sugar, lactose or alcohol can also be created. Compatible medications combined into a single dosage form can make for easier administration and improved compliance, as well.

Caring for hospice patients is some of Moore’s most meaningful work. He says compounding drugs into other forms is ideal for those who may not be able to swallow a pill at the end stages of life.

“Once a patient cannot swallow, we are limited in how a medication can be administered,” Moore says. “If they can’t swallow, being able to put a medication directly to the skin is easy and comforting to the patient and family.”

Compounded hormone replacement therapy for women and men has been, and continues to be, the cornerstone of Moore’s compounding business. Moore’s technology has the ability to compound bio-identical hormones for patients when a body needs assistance.

“No doubt the compounding of hormones for women has been the most fulfilling, yet challenging, part of our compounding practice,” Moore says. “I receive more thanks from these patients because of the difference made in their lives.”

People are not the only species benefitting from Moore’s compounding skills. He works with a number of area veterinarians to help meet the unique needs of the four-legged and fuzzy variety, benefiting domestic and exotic pets, horses and even zoo animals.

“This type of partnership allows veterinarians to broaden their prescribing abilities to offer medication forms that are patient-specific in strength and formulation,” Moore explains.

Compounding can make medicating animals easier and more effective. For example, a testy parrot accepts a tasty, flavored drop more readily. Moore and his team also prepare specific sizes, strengths and dosages, as well as novel ways of delivery.

Colleagues and peers consistently sing Moore’s praises and creative talents.

“Robert is way ahead of the curve by bringing back the art of compounding,” says Dr. Ron Woodson, a Corpus Christi obstetrician and gynecologist. “I treat lots of women with hormone therapy, and he is excellent at compounding. He is a very caring individual who puts his patients above all else.”

Overall wellness and nutrition are also incorporated into Moore’s business model. He holds free monthly seminars at the Corpus Christi pharmacy on a myriad of topics, including anti-aging, hormone replacement therapy, cancer, weight loss and adrenal fatigue. Moore offers comprehensive, one-on-one consultations and makes available saliva hormone testing.

To further expand his efforts, Moore is embarking on an extensive, three-year fellowship this fall. He will be pursuing board certification from the American Board of Anti-Aging, a unique certification aimed at defying age through healthy living.

Moore and his innovative ways are well respected. He was named the Texas Pharmacy Association’s Innovate Pharmacist of the Year in 2007, and he is currently serving a term as a director for the Texas Pharmacy Association of Compounding Pharmacies.

He is also continually asked to speak to professional organizations on the benefits and success of compounding across the United States.

Even international physicians and druggists are starting to take notice. In July, he was invited to speak in Brazil and share his compounding knowledge with South American physicians and health professionals.

In recent years, the demand for professional compounding has increased, as health care professionals and patients realize the limited number of strengths and dosage forms that are commercially available do not meet the needs of many patients. These patients often have a better response to a customized dosage form that is “just what the doctor ordered.”

With corporate chain pharmacies on every street corner, compounding has definitely helped Moore’s remain competitive.

“Compounding and nutrition is our niche,” Moore says. “We can offer a service many pharmacies cannot. Many people are starting to take notice.

“I like to think of myself as a problem solver. When no other drug will work, I get together with a patient and try to come up with a specific medication or nutrient to solve that patient’s individual needs.”

For more information, call 361-853-2061 and visit www.moorespharmacy.com.