Compounding Pharmacy

Compounding has been an essential part of pharmacy practice for centuries. Many regulatory bodies are aware of the practice of compounding and have set rules with which pharmacies must be compliant. The Food and Drug Administration allows products to be compounded as long as licensed practitioners have written a prescription for a specific patient to be filled at a licensed pharmacy. In addition, many state boards of pharmacy require additional regulations to be followed. Depending on the category of products made by the pharmacy, the compounding lab and procedures must be either USP 795 (for nonsterile) and/or USP 797 (for sterile) compliant.

It is a violation of Federal laws to dispense prescription drugs – including compounded medication – without a valid doctor’s prescription. Be sure to obtain a valid prescription from your doctor before your visit to the pharmacy. Each compounded medication takes vigilant care and requires time to formulate to ensure it meets each of your specific needs. Depending on the complexity, compounded medications normally take between 24 and 72 hours to complete.

Capsules, creams, ointments, gels, troches, suppositories, solutions, suspensions, syrups, and sublingual tablets/drops are all examples of non-sterile products. Any product used for injection or inhalation are examples of sterile formulations.

Contemporary compounding has been providing solutions to help with many areas including, but not limited to: Chronic Pain Management, Gastroenterology, Podiatry, Veterinary Conditions, and Dermatological Conditions.

In general, compounding is a practice in which a licensed pharmacist, upon a physicians’ prescription order, combines, mixes, or alters ingredients of a drug to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient. A health care provider will prescribe a compounded drug when commercially available products do not meet your needs. Preparing a paste or suspension from crushed tablets is one example of compounding. Likewise, adding flavoring to a medication is also compounding.

Many medical providers are aware of the practice of compounding, and they may work with your local compounding pharmacy to provide the right medication for you. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor today if you feel that a compounded prescription may be a better way to manage a health condition for you or your family member.

Mass-produced, commercially available drugs are manufactured by drug companies for the general population with no specific patient in mind. Compounded medications are ordered by a physician and individually prepared by a compounding pharmacy in the exact strength, dosage and formulation to meet your unique medical needs. For example:

• Oral liquids can be compounded for those patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets and capsules.
• Ingredients such as dyes, preservatives, or gluten are sometimes excluded from medications due to allergies or other sensitivities.
• Custom flavor enhancers or sweetening agents can be added to mask bitter or otherwise unpleasant oral products for human and veterinary patients.
• Multiple medications can often be combined into a single dosage or made into sustained-release capsules.
• Cellulose capsules are available for patients who do not want to take a gelatin capsule.
• Many medications can be formulated into topical preparations (gels, creams, lotions, sprays, and foams) to allow direct absorption through the skin and to avoid certain unwanted side effects.
• Troches (dosage form that dissolves under the tongue), lollipops, and suppositories are other medication forms that may be prepared to meet your unique needs.

All pharmacists are taught in pharmacy school how to properly compound medications, and many compounding pharmacists have advanced training after pharmacy school graduation. Compounding pharmacists utilize their unique pharmacy skills, knowledge, and creativity to work with you and your prescriber to prepare medication in a dosage form that has been customized to your particular needs.

Yes, a prescription order from a physician is required for the pharmacist to compound your medication to meet your specific needs.

A compounding pharmacy ensures the quality of its products by using specialized equipment, high grade chemicals, and advanced techniques. Other pharmacies generally do not have the time, equipment, chemicals, or specialized training and techniques to appropriately prepare your customized medications.