TITLE:
Extemporaneous Compounding in a Sudanese Tertiary Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Patterns, Prevalence, and Drivers
AUTHORS:
Abdulrahman Abdullahi Ishag, Umalhassan Alawad Abdallah Elamin, Malaz Abdulazim Musa
KEYWORDS:
Extemporaneous Preparations, Compounding, Drug Availability, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Sudan
JOURNAL NAME:
Voice of the Publisher,
Vol.11 No.4,
December
5,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: The deficit of suitable pharmaceutical dosage forms, particularly for pediatric and geriatric patients, remains a major challenge in healthcare. Extemporaneous Preparations (EPs) are individually compounded to meet specific patient needs, but data on their use in low-resource settings like Sudan are scarce. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the patterns, prevalence, and primary drivers of extemporaneous compounding in a leading Sudanese tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the inpatient pharmacy of Royal Care Hospital in Khartoum from April to June 2022. Data were prospectively collected from all medical prescriptions requesting EPs using a structured checklist. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: Out of 502 EP prescriptions analyzed, the majority originated from inpatient departments (58%). Pediatric patients (≤1 year) constituted the largest group (41.85%). The most frequently compounded preparations were hydroxyurea syrup 20.9%), potassium chloride mixture (17.5%), and sodium bicarbonate solution (16.5%). The primary reason for compounding was the complete unavailability of a licensed medicine (63.3%). Conclusion: Extemporaneous compounding is a critical service, primarily driven by market unavailability of essential medicines. These findings highlight a significant gap in Access to suitable dosage forms and underscore the urgent need for national policies to improve drug availability.