Wedgewood Pharmacy Now Compounds Potassium Chloride During Shortage

(Swedesboro, New Jersey— June 14, 2018) Wedgewood Pharmacy, the largest U.S. compounding pharmacy specializing in animal health, is now compounding preservative-free Potassium Chloride 40mEq/vial (2mEq/ml) Injection Solution, 20ml, during a shortage declared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is now available by prescription to licensed veterinarians and their patients directly through the pharmacy or at Order.WedgewoodPetRx.com. 

Wedgewood Pharmacy, based in Swedesboro, New Jersey, makes customized medications for people, their pets, and horses when commercially available drugs cannot meet their need, are on backorder, or have been discontinued for reasons unrelated to safety. Compounded medications like Potassium Chloride are dispensed under prescriptions and orders that are written by physicians, veterinarians, and other legally authorized prescribers and are made and prepared by specially trained pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. 

Jodi Donohue, Marketing Director, said, “We have a 37-year history of partnering with veterinary practitioners to treat the unique needs of many animal species. By compounding Potassium Chloride, we are continuing our tradition of being first to market in responding to the needs of veterinarians and their patients.” 

She added, “Wedgewood Pharmacy was among the first compounding pharmacies committed to the strict requirements of Chapters <795> and <797> of the United States Pharmacopoeia for compounding non-sterile and sterile preparations. Every batch of sterile medication, such as Potassium Chloride, undergoes sterility testing by an independent third-party FDA-registered laboratory. All sterile medications are quarantined until testing is completed and our Quality team reviews and releases the preparation. These same labs also test every batch of sterile injectables for endotoxin levels, further ensuring the quality of the preparations we provide.” 

In its 37 years, Wedgewood Pharmacy has grown from a local community pharmacy to become the largest animal-health compounding pharmacy in the United States. George (late) and Lucy Malmberg, both pharmacists, purchased Wedgewood Pharmacy in 1981; the pharmacy was founded in 1980. In June 2016, Chicago-based New Harbor Capital made a majority equity investment in Wedgewood Pharmacy. 

Wedgewood Pharmacy is accredited by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB®) for compliance with PCAB pharmacy compounding accreditation standards. PCAB was formed by eight of the nation’s leading pharmacy associations and is a service of Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). As a third-party accreditation organization, PCAB has developed the highest national standards against which providers are measured to illustrate their ability to effectively and efficiently deliver quality compounded-medications to veterinarians and consumers.