Natural Ingredients, and a Better Patient Experience
Increasing numbers of compounders, practitioners and patients desire troches that taste great, have a pleasant texture, and are made with natural ingredients. This is why PCCA has created NataTroche. Not only does this base fulfill these needs, it is excellent at masking bitter ingredients such as progesterone, which makes it more convenient for the compounder and may help improve patient complianceprovides.
Beyond that, we reformulated NataTroche in early 2020 to make it even easier to work with for compounders and to provide a better patient experience. Based on user feedback, we lowered the melting point of NataTroche without changing the ingredients. The displacement factor and the calibrated weight remain the same as well. This means that compounders will find it easier to melt this base and pour the finished preparation into troche molds without needing to change their formulas. It also means that for many patients, it will melt faster compared to the original version.*
NataTroche doesn’t require additional suspending or dispersing agents, and compounders often will not have to add extra ingredients beyond active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to adjust the flavor, so they can look forward to a streamlined workflow.
Patients will find that NataTroche provides a smooth, creamy troche with a pleasant taste and consistency similar to chocolate.
Benefits for Compounders
- Easy to work with: Its emulsifying properties improve solubilization and make it easier to incorporate APIs
- Saves time: Many NataTroche formulations do not require additional ingredients to be weighed and added, such as sweeteners, flavors, silica gel, xanthan gum or acacia
- Broad application: It has an ideal melting point of 32-43° C, allowing compounders to use a wide variety of APIs, and allowing the troches to be stored at room temperature
Benefits for Patients
- Better taste and texture: NataTroche’s proprietary formula offers a pleasant taste with a texture similar to chocolate while masking bitter flavors better than other troche bases
- Enhanced delivery: It melts, and its lipid composition improves contact time with oral mucosa, therefore potentially improving absorption
- Convenience: It’s anhydrous, allowing for long beyond-use dates at room temperature and less-frequent prescription refills
- Natural-ingredient option: It is a great option for patients or prescribers who would prefer compounds with natural ingredients
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to add sweeteners or flavors?
NataTroche contains a natural sweetener and flavor. However, flavor is subjective, and each oral formula will not please every person's palate. You can add additional sweeteners up to 0.4% each. You can also use Bitter Stop™ (PCCA #30-3519) from 0.1–0.5% to suppress bitterness. Take care not to add too much flavor. You can use flavor oils, but at a range of 0.1–0.4%, depending upon the chemical taste you are trying to mask.
What type of flavors can I add to NataTroche?
We recommend using oil flavors at concentrations of 0.1–0.4% with NataTroche. Not all aqueous flavors are miscible with this base, and may settle to the bottom of the troches, negatively affecting the patient’s experience. When aqueous flavors are incorporated into an anhydrous base, it could affect the water activity; therefore, the dosage form may no longer be considered anhydrous, which would shorten the beyond-use date. However, most NataTroche formulas should not require additional flavor. For more information about flavoring with this base, see PCCA Document #99656.
What is the displacement factor for NataTroche?
Powders are added (or deleted) at a displacement factor of 70%, except for Special Micronized Progesterone, which is displaced at 100%. Liquids are added (or deleted) at a displacement factor of 100% of the base.
Do these troches require refrigeration?
Troches made with this product can be stored at controlled room temperature. However, if a pharmacy is shipping them, the troches should be shipped in a refrigerated container.
What is the nutrient content of NataTroche?
Every gram of NataTroche contains:
- 8.81 Calories
- 0.97 Gm fat
- 0.03 Gm carbohydrates
Can I use NataTroche to compound animal treats?
Yes.
* As with all troche bases, the melting time in the patient’s mouth will vary based on the individual’s saliva production.
Always make sure you have checked the PCCA Formula Database and are following the most up-to-date version of a formula, as changes are continuously made to existing formulations to provide the highest quality. The formulas and/or statements listed are provided for educational purposes only. They are compounding ideas that have commonly been requested by physicians, and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Formulas and/or material listed are not to be interpreted as a promise, guarantee or claim of therapeutic efficacy or safety. The information contained herein is not intended to replace or substitute for conventional medical care, or encourage its abandonment. Every patient is unique, and formulas should be adjusted to meet their individual needs.