Compounding
What is compounding and why do we offer it?
As a part of our full-range of pharmacy services, we are pleased to offer pharmaceutical compounding. Many decades ago, nearly all medications were compounded by pharmacists (rather than mass produced by manufacturers).Commercially manufactured medications (those already in a capsule, tablet, cream, suspension, etc.) are made for an average group of patients and do not meet the needs of all individual patients. For patients that have additional needs not met by the available manufactured products, we are able to take raw pharmaceutical ingredients and compound these into a form that you can use! In our pharmacy we are only able to make non-sterile formulations and cannot compound formulations that must be sterile (e.g. drugs for injection or for use in the eye).
What are some examples of products not available from manufacturers?
- In recent years, “bio-identical” hormone replacement has become popular. None of the commercially available hormone replacement therapies provide the “female” hormones in the amounts/ratios that they are produced in the body.
- Some people are unable to take tablets or capsules (e.g. infants, people with gastric tubes or swallowing problems) and we can compound a liquid formulation (depending on the drug’s stability and pharmacokinetics) for these patients
- Other patients are unable to take tablets or capsules that have colors or other additives, we are able to compound capsules that have limited and controlled additional additives.
What types of formulations do you usually make?
- Capsules
- Troches (oral or sublingual soft lozenges)
- Oral suspensions, solutions, emulsions, etc.
- Topical creams and ointments
- Rectal suppositories
Are any other formulations?
- Yes, any formulation that does not have to be sterile:
- Lollipops, vaginal suppositories, nasal sprays, oral sprays, etc.
Will my insurance cover the compound?
Because the compounded medication is made specifically for the individual patient there is no “NDC” number for the medication (normally assigned by the manufacturer). Most insurance plans require an NDC number, and therefore most of the time we are unable to bill compounded prescriptions to your insurance.
Occasionally we make compounds from manufactured medications. For example, we may take omeprazole capsules (a stomach acid-suppressing medication), empty the contents of the capsule, and create a suspension. Sometimes in this case we may be able to bill your insurance for the manufactured capsules but they may not cover the cost of the compounding process. This varies drug-by-drug and insurance-by-insurance creating a near infinite number of possibilities… which makes it impossible to predict if your insurance really will cover the cost of your compound. Also, if they do cover your compound, it is usually at your highest tier copay.