What You Need To Know About Compounded Medications

The idea of compounded medications and compound pharmacies can feel like a red flag to the unfamiliar. It is true that compounded medications aren’t FDA approved, and there can be risks with medications made in unlicensed pharmacies and compounding facilities.

While this is all true and important to acknowledge, there are legitimate uses for compound pharmacies and with a doctor’s or retail pharmacy’s referral, the facilities doing the compounding are subject to regular inspection by the FDA.

The What and Why of Compounding

What is a compounded medication, anyway? Well, compound medications are prescribed by a doctor and specifically mixed to meet your needs.

Commonly, compounding occurs because a medication requires a unique mix unavailable in large commercial or retail pharmacies, an FDA approved medication is being prescribed off-label, or a medication needs to be altered to make it easier to take (such as making a liquid version for someone who can’t swallow pills).

Any doctor can prescribe a compounded medication, and sometimes they can even be filled in your regular retail pharmacy. There are some pharmacies that lack the equipment to compound, though, in which case the prescription is sent to an outsourcing facility.

Is Compounding Safe?

Yes, if your prescription is filled by a licensed retail pharmacy or an outsourcing facility, your medication is perfectly safe to take.

In fact, outsourcing facilities are a product of the 2013 Drug Quality and Security Act and are inspected regularly by the FDA based on higher quality standards.

Compounding creates a one-off medications that are not able to go through the same quality inspections as commercially mass produced drugs. However, the facilities and pharmacists who produce them are liable to federal and state regulations which exist to protect you, the consumer.

Stay Informed!

I prescribe compound medications often in order to get patients the medications that may be needed off-label, such as diabetes drug semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic). I want my patients to feel secure in the safety of their medications.

For more information on compounded medications, check out this helpful article by the FDA, or this one from GoodRX.