{"id":9666,"date":"2026-08-10T09:24:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T09:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/?post_type=docs&p=1841"},"modified":"2026-08-21T11:40:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T11:40:03","password":"","slug":"the-story-of-the-magistral-formulas-in-dermatology-book-project","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/dokumanlar\/general-articles\/the-story-of-the-magistral-formulas-in-dermatology-book-project\/","title":{"rendered":"The Story of the Magistral Formulas in Dermatology Book Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Story of the Compounding Formulas in Dermatology Book Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

Audere est facere<\/strong>
\nTo dare is to do.<\/p>\n

Date: December 2017\u2026 In its first workshop, the 41st Term Central Board of the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association determined the working commissions to be established, and for the first time in Turkish Pharmacy History, it was decided to establish the Compounding Working Group. The commission, in which I also took part, was chaired by my classmate Vural Tunal\u0131, who was serving on the Supervisory Board at that time. We aimed to develop and implement projects that would serve the purposes of ensuring pharmacists embrace the field of magistral and officinal pharmaceuticals, enhancing pharmacists’ competencies, increasing the share of magistral compounding within pharmaceutical services provided by pharmacists, and elevating the professional remuneration to be obtained from this pillar of pharmacy service to the level it deserves. As in every period, during that time there were quite a lot of problems in terms of Magistral Compounding in our pharmacies. We were confronted with challenges such as magistral prescriptions prepared at a loss due to the outdated compounding tariff that could not be revised, and prescription deductions resulting from the absence of a magistral Healthcare Implementation Communiqu\u00e9 (SUT) at the Social Security Institution (SGK), penalizing both the physician who prescribed the formula and the pharmacist who compounded it. At that time, as a result of a phone call, we met Dermatologist Prof. Dr. Ahmet Metin; I was consulting on these issues with him, and since he had previously served at the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (T\u0130TCK) under the Ministry of Health, I sought his views on resolving these issues. At the same time, because Prof. Ahmet Metin was highly knowledgeable in treatments involving compounding practices in dermatology, we began to hold frequent meetings with him. The willingness of Prof. Ahmet Metin to join our meeting with the SGK, which we were to conduct as the Compounding Working Group under the chairmanship of Vural Tunal\u0131 to convey all these issues, demonstrated his great interest in the field of Compounding. Over time, we started holding discussions with Prof. Ahmet Metin where we agreed on forming a joint physician-pharmacist working group aimed at elevating the ‘Art of Magistral Treatment’ to the level of developed countries and enhancing patient care quality, and within this framework, primarily on preparing a comprehensive reference book. However, for various reasons, this work we so deeply desired could not be realized until today. In the process we have finally reached, the establishment of our Association of Compounding Pharmacists provided an opportunity to bring this project back to the agenda. I believe the time has finally come to have a collaborative reference book created through a physician-pharmacist partnership with a multidisciplinary approach for the first time in our country, which will serve as a vital source for ‘Magistral Treatment’\u2014one that can be kept on the desk of the physician writing the prescription and in the laboratory of the pharmacist preparing the medicine.<\/p>\n

July 2021<\/p>\n

Spec. Pharm. Ahmet Nezihi PEKCAN<\/p>\n

Now, let us also read the purpose and story of this book from the pen of Prof. Dr. Ahmet Metin\u2026<\/p>\n

Magistral preparations, whose formulas are written by physicians and prepared by pharmacists, are mostly preferred today by dermatology specialists and represent an approach offering disease- and patient-specific therapeutic options in the treatment of our patients.<\/p>\n

In many countries where medical science is advanced, we observe that National Standard Formularies are established for the magistral treatment method, which is frequently used in patient care. We witness that extemporaneous compounding in pharmacies is supported in these countries due to reasons such as its critical role in formulating orphan drugs that cannot be found in the community for various reasons and its provision of more cost-effective solutions for public health expenditures, fostering continuous innovation and development in magistral formulation processes. We are experiencing an era where the quality of treatment is heightened through novel vehicles, active agents, and ready-to-use bases.<\/p>\n

Magistral compounding is a therapeutic modality utilized for numerous specific situations, including active substances that do not yet have commercially manufactured products in our country, formulations prepared in various dosage forms, medicines available in other countries but not yet licensed domestically, or those unavailable due to ceased manufacturing. For this reason, it is an indispensable treatment approach in dermatology. Despite all this, it remains a fact that the necessary attention has not been given to extemporaneous compounding in our country.<\/p>\n

We know that in periods when the pharmaceutical industry was not yet developed and proprietary commercial products were not so prominent, varied formulations\u2014almost uniquely devised by each physician\u2014were prescribed to patients. As a consequence, non-standardized formulations, many of which contained allergenic, irritating, ineffective, and sometimes even toxic ingredients, were widely utilized.<\/p>\n

These formulas, which we acquired in the past from our professors or colleagues in the departments where we received our training, still persist today. Although they occasionally re-emerge, most have been forgotten, and new ones with more effective and modern structures (vehicle + active molecule) could not replace them, nor were standard national formulas established.<\/p>\n

Consequently, the number of physicians writing compounding prescriptions and pharmacies preparing them has steadily declined, and the use of extemporaneous preparations in the art of medicine and pharmacy has almost slipped into oblivion.<\/p>\n

In the field of dermatology, we are rapidly moving away from magistral formulas and writing fewer compounding prescriptions. Foremost among these reasons is the absence of a comprehensive reference book written from an academic perspective regarding compounding formulas.<\/p>\n

Overcoming these challenges, identifying optimized compounding formulas, and more importantly, introducing the modern and effective formulations used in developed countries into Turkish Dermatology practice had become a necessity. I frequently voiced this within my professional circle, but could find no practical traction.<\/p>\n

Just during those days, we met Spec. Pharm. Ahmet Nezihi Pekcan, who possesses profound knowledge and experience regarding magistral medicines and formulas, has authored various works (books and articles), and who not only prepares challenging formulations but also introduces them to his colleagues. He conveyed that because physicians were prescribing fewer magistral medicines, pharmacists were also increasingly drifting away from preparing them.<\/p>\n

Thereupon, in 2017, we planned to write a book based on physician-pharmacist collaboration. In addition to the fundamental pharmaceutical technology principles found in standard compounding books, this book was designed to encompass compounding materials (excipients, actives), basic base formulas and examples, and key formulations utilized in skin diseases. I worked for days to compile this list. Finally, I added the active agents of topical proprietary preparations approved by the FDA to this list.<\/p>\n

There were 348 items in the preliminary list. I identified the authors who would write them and sent them out along with sample writing templates and all the reference books at my disposal. Up to this point was the easy part.<\/p>\n

The difficult part was locating all the formulas related to the substance written by each author, selecting the most suitable among them, and classifying them according to diseases\u2026 and filtering out duplicate formulas from among thousands, detailing their preparation methods, determining which indications they could be used for, and organizing them cohesively within the book.<\/p>\n

During this time, Mr. Ahmet Nezihi was focusing on his master’s thesis. I was searching for a solution to this, but could not seem to find one. Meanwhile, some of our authors completed and submitted their respective chapters.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, amid changing hospitals and delivering congress speeches, I had to assume the leadership of the Turkish Dermatology Association (TDD) Epidermolysis Bullosa Working Group (EB\u00c7G), which completely occupied my schedule. Subsequently, I lost my mother; to step away for a while from Ankara City Hospital where I experienced that grief, I began establishing a Department and clinic at another university under a temporary Article 40\/B assignment, causing the ‘Dermatological Magistral Medications’ book to be put on hold. Yet, it never left my mind.<\/p>\n

Over the passing time, Mr. Ahmet Nezihi also completed his master’s degree along with his thesis. To address the challenges concerning magistral medicines more closely and systematically, he founded the ‘Association of Compounding Pharmacists’ (https:\/\/majistraleczader.org) and became its president. Thus, an institutional structure was also established on the pharmacists’ front. Intra-association training programs commenced.<\/p>\n

In this book project, which the Association of Compounding Pharmacists decided to fully endorse, institutionalization was also required on the Dermatology front. To this end, I applied to the TDD Board of Directors, proposing the establishment of a ‘Magistral Medications Working Group’. While this proposal was welcomed warmly and deemed very appropriate, I was informed that because the Board of Directors, whose term had expired due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was preparing for handover and had decided not to establish new groups during this transitional phase, the decision to form the working group was left to the incoming board. My proposal will be discussed at the TDD Ordinary General Assembly or by the new TDD Board; if accepted, our work will continue under the umbrella of the TDD, or the dermatologist authors involved here will subsequently be included in the working group.<\/p>\n

The unresolved challenge mentioned above\u2014namely the filtering, optimization, and disease-based classification of the formulas\u2014has now been overcome, and this will be addressed through the ‘physician + pharmacist’ co-authorship model. We aimed to create an outstanding work written with a multidisciplinary approach for the first time in its field. Our work on determining the topics and authors for these new sections is currently ongoing and will be announced to you separately upon completion.<\/p>\n

The new subject headings of our book continue to be developed. Once completed, we aim to publish it in two volumes. The monograph authors have been determined. The headings for dermatological diseases treatable with magistral interventions are also finalized. Once other chapters such as regulations regarding compounding prescription writing are established, we will resume work together with our newly joined authors and complete the book in a very short time.<\/p>\n

The book will be more organized, beneficial, and comprehensive than originally conceived. Once the Turkish edition is published, I believe it will serve as an exceptional reference work for Turkish Medicine.<\/p>\n

Beyond this, I hope the book will introduce us to newer, modern, effective, easy-to-prepare, problem-free, and optimized formulas; lead a stronger, scientifically grounded resurgence and transformation in magistral therapies; and thus contribute to the future formulation of our own National Formularies.<\/p>\n

Works published on this subject to date have been drafted from the perspective of either the pharmacist or the dermatologist alone. With this book, I believe these multidisciplinary formulas, compiled under a unique concept with multi-author contributions, will represent a pioneering milestone in its field. If the targeted success and quality are achieved in the book (of which I have no doubt), we also intend to publish an international edition. I sincerely hope this project brings great value to the Turkish Medical Community\u2026<\/p>\n

July 2021.<\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Ahmet MET\u0130N<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Story of the Compounding Formulas in Dermatology Book Project Audere est facere To dare is to do. Date: December 2017\u2026 In its first workshop, the 41st Term Central Board […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"doc_category":[159],"doc_tag":[],"class_list":["post-9666","docs","type-docs","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","doc_category-general-articles"],"acf":[],"year_month":"2026-09","word_count":1817,"total_views":"2","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"m921a","author_nicename":"m921a","author_url":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/author\/m921a\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"General Articles","term_url":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/dokuman-kategori\/general-articles\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"knowledge_base_info":[],"knowledge_base_slug":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/9666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9666"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/9666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9668,"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/9666\/revisions\/9668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=9666"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=9666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}