What is Compounding?

A Brief History

Compounding Then and Now

Before large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing, all medications were compounded. Your local pharmacist would mix ingredients from scratch to create the exact medicine your doctor prescribed. This was standard practice for hundreds of years.

When mass production made medications more accessible and affordable, compounding became less common—but it never disappeared. Today, compounding fills a crucial gap: it serves patients whose needs can't be met by commercially available medications.

Modern compounding combines traditional pharmaceutical expertise with cutting-edge technology and quality standards. We use the same high-grade ingredients as major pharmaceutical companies, but we customize them for individual patients.

What Makes Compounding Different?

Personalization

Every aspect of your medication can be customized:

Dosage strength: The exact amount your body needs
Form: Capsules, liquids, creams, gels, suppositories, troches, and more
Flavor: For children (and adults!) who struggle with bitter medications
Ingredients: Removing allergens or unnecessary additives
Combinations: Multiple medications in one convenient dose

Collaboration

Compounding requires teamwork. Your healthcare provider prescribes exactly what you need, our pharmacists create it with precision, and you receive medication that's been customized to work best for you. We communicate directly with your provider to ensure every detail is correct.

When You Might Need Compounding

Common Scenarios

1. Your medication has been discontinued or is commercially unavailable
Pharmaceutical companies sometimes stop making medications that patients still need. We can often recreate these discontinued or commercially unavailable drugs so you can continue your treatment without interruption.

2. You need a different strength

Maybe the available dose is too strong or too weak for your needs. We can create the exact strength your healthcare provider prescribes, giving you optimal treatment without compromise.

3. You're allergic to inactive ingredients
Commercial medications contain fillers, dyes, preservatives, and binders that can cause reactions. We can reformulate your medication without the ingredients that cause you problems—whether that's lactose, gluten, dyes, or other common allergens.

4. You have trouble taking medication as-is
Swallowing pills can be difficult for children, elderly patients, or anyone with dysphagia. We can turn tablets into liquids, create topical creams instead of oral medications, add flavoring, or develop other delivery methods that work for you.

5. You need a unique combination
Sometimes your treatment requires multiple medications. Instead of taking them separately, we can combine them into one custom medication (e.g., a single topical cream, troche, or suppository), making your regimen simpler and more convenient.

6. You need a specialized formulation
From hormone therapy to pain management, dermatology to veterinary medicine—some treatments work best when customized. We can create specialized formulations that target your specific condition more effectively.

Is Compounding Right for You?

Compounding might be right for you if:

Standard medications aren't working well enough
You need a dose that's not commercially available
You're experiencing side effects from inactive ingredients
You have difficulty taking medication in its current form
Your medication has been discontinued
You're looking for hormone therapy, pain management, or other specialized treatment
You're seeking veterinary medications for your pets

The best way to know if compounding can help is to talk with your healthcare provider. If they think a compounded medication would benefit you, they'll send us a prescription with specific instructions, and we'll take it from there.