Compounding Pharmacy

Traditionally, compounding has referred to the practice of creating personalized medication intended for patients who are unable to use medicines that have been mass-produced. Whether it’s an allergy to commonly used medicine fillers, an inability to swallow pills, or another similar issue with mass-produced medication, a compounding pharmacy is designed to help resolve those issues by customizing their products to suit individual patient needs.

Compounding pharmacists work with practitioners to determine these needs and then create medications that offer customized features like special flavourings, unique dosages, gluten-free fillers, and more. It’s an ideal alternative for patients who are unable to take the “one-size-fits-all” approach to certain mass-produced medication.

Today, compounding pharmacies are used for even more. Now, they are also used to help during drug shortages. Because these shortages can last for months and even years, compounding pharmacies have been more important than ever in helping lower the impact on patients by supplying the medication at stake due to the shortage.

Many specialties utilize compounding for more individualized patient care. Some common specialties include: medical weight loss, hormone replacement therapy for men and women, topical pain, erectile dysfunction, female sexual health, vein care and IV nutrition.

Common Services Provided By Compounding Pharmacies Different compounding pharmacies may offer different solutions, but there are some common services offered by many, such as:

• Customizing drug dosages and strengths
• Creating unique combinations of medications
• Reformulating medications without specific ingredients (i.e. gluten, dye, lactose, etc.)
• Compounding discontinued medications
• Changing the medication form (i.e. topical cream vs. oral supplement, injectables vs. gel, etc.)
• Adding flavors to medication

Most pharmacists who practice in the 7,500+ pharmacies specializing in compounding services have had advanced training in compounding after graduating from pharmacy school. There are currently no states that require any specific training, and there isn’t any nationally recognized specialty that exists for pharmaceutical compounding. There is, however, specialized training that’s available in pharmacy compounding processes through some of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) suppliers who serve the compounding pharmacy community.

But no matter where the compounding happens, there are certain quality standards that must be accounted for, including that no drug may be prepared, packaged or stored within unsanitary conditions.

Learn more about who regulates compounding pharmacies and how those regulations relate to the ones placed on drug manufacturers.