Pharmacy Faculty and Students Evaluate the Compounding Efficacy of a Premixed Antibiotic Formulation
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) School of Pharmacy and Xellia Pharmaceuticals have partnered to study how a premixed vancomycin IV formulation compares to the current compounding process for the antibiotic.
“Currently, compounding a vancomycin bag is a long process – having a vial of vancomycin powder and then adding sterile water, mixing it to make sure everything dissolves, then taking the right amount to add into the IV bag. There are chances for error in multiple steps, and even more so when making multiple bags in bulk,” says Dr. Abhay Singh Chauhan, associate professor at the MCW School of Pharmacy.
Dr. Chauhan led the study involving founding dean and professor George E. MacKinnon III, PhD, MS, RPh; professor Nashaat Gerges, PhD, BPharm; and Froedtert Health pharmacist Jim Cruikshank, PharmD. Dr. Cruikshank investigated how hospitals currently compound vancomycin so that it could be accurately replicated in the experiment. Dr. Chauhan worked with pharmacy students Huong Hoang and Kato Nichols, who both graduated with their PharmD in May 2023, to conduct the experiment, as well as alumnus Alexander Sperry, PharmD, who led the planning and execution of the project. Three PharmD students from the MCW School of Pharmacy volunteered in this simulation study, which was approved by the Institutional Review Board. Dr. Chauhan devised a new method of assessing compounding efficacy by testing in both the sterile compounding setting and in the clinical setting, simulated by MCW’s state-of-the-art Standardized Teaching Assessment Resources (STAR) Center.
“Apart from teaching the students in their classes, we believe that students should be trained for any kind of research activity,” says Dr. Chauhan. “When they go to a career in pharmaceutical industry, they need to understand how to plan, execute and write a research project, plus how to solve problems if they arise.”
Nichols says this project made him a competitive candidate for fellowships in medical affairs and clinical trial management. During job interviews, he was able to use this as an example of his management ability, understanding of the scientific method involved in producing evidence-based literature, and experience with manuscript production.
Nichols adds that Dr. Chauhan is an outstanding mentor who believes in students and pushes them to reach their potential. “Dr. Chauhan delegated responsibility to me and provided me with the opportunity to thrive independently. He is extremely patient and supportive of his student’s growth, and he understands the trials and tribulations involved in this process,” says Nichols.
This study found that Vanco Ready® Vancomycin Injection premix decreases the total dispensing time and improves dosing accuracy, when compared to the single-dose compounded product and batch compounded product.
The study has been published in the journal Pharmaceutical Science and Technology.