At one time, nearly all prescriptions were compounded. With the advent of mass drug manufacturing in the 1950s and ‘60s, compounding rapidly declined. The pharmacist’s role as a preparer of medications quickly changed to that of a dispenser of manufactured dosage forms, and most pharmacists were no longer trained to compound¹.

However, the “one-size-fits-all” nature of many mass-produced medications meant that some patients’ needs were not being met. Fortunately, compounding has experienced a resurgence as modern technology and innovative techniques and research have allowed more pharmacists to customize medications to meet specific patient needs.

1. Kochanowska-Karamyan AJ. Pharmaceutical Compounding: The Oldest, Most Symbolic, and Still Vital Part of Pharmacy. Int J Pharm Compd. 2016 Sep-Oct;20(5):367-374. PMID: 28339371.

Compounding is the creation of a pharmaceutical preparation — a drug, by a licensed pharmacist to meet the unique needs of an individual patient when a commercially available drug do not meet those needs. A patient may not be able to tolerate the commercially available drug, the exact preparation needed may not be commercially available, or a patient may require a drug that is currently in shortage or discontinued. The United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) formally defines compounding as “the preparation, mixing, assembling, altering, packaging, and labeling of a drug, drug-delivery device, or device in accordance with a licensed practitioner's prescription, medication order, or initiative based on the practitioner/patient/ pharmacist/compounder relationship in the course of professional practice.”

Compounding pharmacists can put drugs into specially flavored liquids, topical creams, transdermal gels, suppositories, or other dosage forms suitable for patients’ unique needs. Compounding does not include making copies of commercially available drug products, as this is not allowed by law¹. Compounding allows patients access for treatment options which are suited to their requirements to facilitate improved therapeutic outcomes for patients with a decrease in adverse effects².