What is a compounding pharmacy?
Traditional pharmacies provide prescription drugs in standard formulations mass-produced by large pharmaceutical companies. A compounding pharmacy can prepare medications individually as prescribed for a specific patient.
Compounding is often used to:
- Prepare custom dosages for people who need them because of age, size or body chemistry
- Remove allergens such as dyes or preservatives for sensitive patients
- Change flavors or textures to make medications more pleasant to take
- Combine multiple medications in prescribed doses for convenience
How It Works
Step 1
Your healthcare provider submits a personalized prescription.
Step 2
We formulate the medication to meet your specific needs.
Step 3
We deliver the medication directly to you.
Benefits
A compounding pharmacy can:
- Prepare custom dosages for people who need them because of age, size or body chemistry
- Remove allergens such as dyes or preservatives for sensitive patients
- Change flavors or textures to make medications more pleasant to take
- Combine multiple medications in prescribed doses for convenience
Compounding Types
There are two types of compounding pharmacies:
- Traditional compounding is preparing medications individually as prescribed for a specific patient. The FDA designates these as 503A pharmacies and they are regulated by states.
- Large-scale compounding is the production of formulations in small to large batches for sale to doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities The FDA designates these as 503B outsourcing facilities and they are federally regulated.
Belmar Pharma Solutions is one of the few organizations in the country to operate six 503A compounding pharmacies and two 503B outsourcing facilities.
Medication Types
Compounding pharmacies commonly produce medications prepared to help with hormone replacement, thyroid and autoimmune issues, sexual wellness, aesthetic dermatology, brain & sleep support, and related issues. These custom formulations support your health and may ease symptoms so that you can live the lifestyle you want with energy and enthusiasm.
Why Compounding?
Traditional pharmacies provide prescription drugs in standard formulations mass-produced by large pharmaceutical companies to treat most health conditions. Research is showing us that the one-size-fits-all approach is not always the most effective one; it has become clear that we are not all created equal when it comes to medications. This has led doctors and patients to look for ways to take more of our differences into consideration. Compounding pharmacies meet this need.
What sets Belmar Pharmacy apart?
As a national, 503A compounding pharmacy and 503B outsourcing facility, Belmar combines deep expertise and extensive capabilities with a personalized approach to serving patients and healthcare providers in all 50 states.
Commonly Asked Questions
A compounding pharmacy prepares customized medications for individual patients based on a healthcare provider’s prescription. Unlike traditional pharmacies that dispense mass-produced drugs, compounding pharmacies create personalized formulations by adjusting dosage, removing allergens, combining medications, or changing forms to better meet a patient’s specific needs.
There are two types of compounding pharmacies. 503A pharmacies compound medications for individual patients. 503B outsourcing facilities produce medications for healthcare practices and facilities.
Learn more about what compounding pharmacies do and how they may benefit you.
503A pharmacies are state-regulated compounding pharmacies that make individualized formulations following a prescription written for a specific patient by a specific prescriber. This designation refers to section 503A of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which specifies requirements for the compounding of drug preparations for individual patients.
503A pharmacies are the “traditional” type of compounding pharmacy, producing individualized prescriptions. Medications, including hormones, prepared by a 503A compounding pharmacy, are intended for patient-specific use.
503B outsourcing facilities are large-scale, FDA-regulated facilities that produce compounded medications, including hormones. This designation refers to section 503B of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which describes the requirements that must be met for drug products compounded by or under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist in an outsourcing facility. The 503B designation was created with the passage of the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA) in 2013.
Belmar Pharma Solutions is designated as both a 503A compounding pharmacy and as a 503B outsourcing facility. Both 503A pharmacies and 503B outsourcing facilities play an important role in meeting the needs of clinicians and patients when it comes to delivering personalized medicine. So which is the correct choice for your healthcare practice? The answer depends on what you are trying to accomplish. When you need an individualized prescription compounded for a specific patient, a 503A pharmacy is the right choice.
When you need non-patient-specific compounded medications, including hormones for office use without a patient prescription, a 503B outsourcing facility is the right solution. This option enables clinicians to maintain a supply of customized formulations in quantity, allowing administration to patients during an office visit.
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