Livonia pharmacist combines ingredients to create medications amid children's pain relief medicine shortages

LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - As many Michiganders have challenges finding popular medications, compounding pharmacies have been the remedy.

At I-Pharmacy in Livonia, pharmacist Rudy Najm is combining ingredients to create medications, a process known as compounding. By doing this, he can make medicines that are in short supply, including children's pain relief medications.

Najm said it is a fairly easy process. He used ibuprofen to make a medication. 

"We measure the amount that we need, and we just compound it in a jar," he said. "We're adding some cherry flavoring right now and a suspending agent to make it taste better."

Compounding has increased as many big chain drug stores either don’t have these medicines in stock or have limited the amount of children’s pain-relief medicine a person can purchase.

READ: Walgreens, CVS and others limiting purchases of children's pain relief medicine

Independent pharmacies say they don’t encounter supply shortages as often as their big chain competitors.

"We have a big stock We have at least three months worth of medication on the shelf," Najm said.

Compounding allowed Georgina Lebbos to get flu medication for her family after struggling to find it elsewhere.