A compounding pharmacy custom-makes a medication for one patient when no FDA-approved product fits - like a dye-free version for an allergy, or a liquid for someone who cannot swallow tablets.
The key fact: compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, meaning the agency has not verified their safety, effectiveness, or quality before you take them. They fill a real medical niche, but they are meant for needs an approved drug cannot meet.
What to do
Common questions
What is a compounding pharmacy?
A compounding pharmacy custom-makes a medication for an individual patient when an FDA-approved product does not fit. The FDA gives concrete examples: a patient allergic to a dye in the commercial tablet needs the drug made without it, or a child or elderly patient who cannot swallow tablets needs the medicine prepared as a liquid. A prescriber writes a prescription for the specific need, and a licensed compounding pharmacy prepares that one-off version. The critical thing to understand: compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, which means the agency has not verified their safety, effectiveness, or quality before they reach you - they serve a real medical niche, but they are meant for patients whose needs genuinely cannot be met by an approved drug. If someone offers you a compounded version of a drug that exists commercially and works fine for you, ask why. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you weigh a compounded prescription your prescriber suggests.