Medicinal Cannabis Compounding has come a long way since a mortar, pestle and a strong right arm were the mainstays of mixing a good product in a pharmacy setting. Introducing MAZ® - the latest member of our team. MAZ® performs mixing and deaeration simultaneously by revolving and rotating the container concurrently with a powerful planetary motion, without the need for blades. With unbelievable efficiency, she can produce highly homogenous, well mixed products in much less time than [...]

Medicinal Cannabis Atara Compounding Pharmacy collaborates with IvyMed Clinic that focuses on alternative treatments for people who have not found relief from other options. This may include allied health, supplements or plant based medicines like medicinal cannabis. Compounded medicines play an important role in servicing patient needs not met by big pharma. Compounded products can be prescribed for individual patients according to their specific needs, including allergies and swallowing issues. The benefits of this with medicinal cannabis [...]

Influenza Information The flu is the most common vaccine preventable illness in Australia. The flu is a highly contagious viral infection. It may be mild in some, but it can cause very serious illness, hospitalisation and even death in otherwise healthy people. It is especially serious for babies, people aged over 65 years, people with underlying medical conditions and pregnant women. Vaccination is a safe and effective way to help protect you from the flu. By getting vaccinated, [...]

Medicine Shortages The current unprecedented medicine shortages are the result of a perfect storm of circumstances coming together at once, with lack of local manufacturing being a major factor. Local manufacturing on a smaller scale however, may provide the answer to at least some of these shortages. By this, of course, I mean compounded products filling the gaps until big pharma can work their way out of this crisis. Compounding out of stock medicines has always [...]

WHOOPING COUGH! also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, but these are followed by two or three months of severe coughing fits. Following a fit of coughing, a high-pitched whoop sound or gasp may occur as the person breathes in. The violent coughing may last for 10 or more weeks, [...]

Skin Hyperpigmentation Melanin is the substance produced in the skin which gives our skin its own unique hue. Hyperpigmentation is when there is an excess of melanin production that causes patches of skin to be darker than the skin surrounding it. It can occur in people of any skin type or colour and anywhere on the body, although it is of course, most distressing when it occurs on the face, hands or other very visible places. [...]

Ten ways to medicate your pet you may not have thought of… The Switcheroo. Give a few treats in quick succession. Without hesitation make the next one the meds, then quickly another treat. We are going for a ‘what the?’ moment, quickly forgotten. The Chaser. Used for liquids. Into a syringe, draw up some potent yummy liquid such as the juice or oil from a can of tuna, sardines, gravy or the juice from the roast chicken [...]

While we hope to never have to medicate our beloved fur babies, it can come as a shock when we suddenly have to give kitty a capsule twice a day, administer an ear medication to the dog or a syringe of medicine to the rabbit. Zoos know all too well the difficulties faced handling and medicating animals who would rather not co-operate, and begin early in their lives preparing and desensitizing them to situations, syringes and other procedures [...]

When most people think of flavouring, they assume that you add the flavour in question – done! Strawberry flavoured? Add strawberry flavouring, right? Making medicines taste better, however, requires a whole lot more and this is where the ‘art’ comes in.Many medicines are incredibly bitter at worst and just plain nasty at best and have an unpleasant taste that can hang around for ages. For parents this can be a real challenge when trying to ensure the entire dose [...]

Medicinal cannabis refers to pharmaceutical grade extracts of the Cannabis Sativa plant Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although there are literally hundreds of phytochemicals found in this plant, CBD and THC are the most widely studied for their potential uses in human (and animals) to treat a variety of medical conditions. Changes in regulations surrounding these chemicals which occurred a few years ago, renewed the medical and pharmaceutical world’s interest, although the history of use of this plant [...]

We wanted to move into the future with a name and logo that is unique to only us and reflects what we wish to achieve for our customers and clients, and that is, a promise to provide health and wellbeing, through integrity, pride in our work, respect for others and their privacy, excellence in the field of compounding and holistic wellness, community involvement and professional service. The brand ATARA came about during these unusual and challenging times, to [...]

You’re not alone. It is estimated that 30%-40% of the population has some sort of difficulty swallowing a tablet or capsule. Food is normally chewed before swallowing, and swallowing a tablet whole requires us to consciously override this normal behaviour as well as dealing with the gag reflex which nature has provided to help prevent us from choking. Children can usually begin to manage this process at the age of 10 but for a lot of people, for [...]

While masks have become essential accessories during Covid times, it is important to remember that your facial skin is also facing unprecedented conditions. Your breath creates a hot and humid environment under your mask while the edges of the mask may cause redness and dryness with friction from prolonged wear. Rarely, a wearer may experience an allergy or contact dermatitis from their mask. This could be from the wire, fabric or chemicals within the fabric. A well-fitting mask [...]

A transdermal gel or cream is a way of delivering medicine to your pet through the skin instead of having to make them swallow it. There are many examples of this in human medicine now where medicines such as pain killers, hormones, even nicotine replacement is delivered through the skin to have an effect in the whole body. The advantages for medicating a cat this way, are obvious. No daily struggles trying to hold the cat and poke [...]

Palmitoylethanolamide, also known as PEA, is a naturally occurring substance of the fatty acid amide family, and is very much in the news at the moment, as the removal of codeine from over the counter pain medicines has sent patients and health professionals alike searching further afield for safer pain options. It was originally isolated from soybean lecithin, egg yolk and peanut meal in the 1950s and has been readily available in Europe and North America as a [...]

Hormones are the chemical messengers the body uses to tell cells what to do and when to do it. There are a huge number of them involved in nearly every process from controlling hunger and temperature regulation, sleep, reproduction and development, metabolism and the immune response. Mention hormones and mostly we think of the well-known male and female sex hormones, oestriol, oestradiol, progesterone and testosterone. These are the ones that head south during the latter parts of our [...]

Curcumin, the major component of interest in the spice turmeric, has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties as well as for culinary purposes. Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant of the ginger family, known as Curcuma Longa. It is used around the world in various ways ranging from capsules, powder, in food, condiments, teas, as a colouring agent, in cosmetics, energy drinks and much more. It is used for its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [...]