Traditional compounding means creating a customized medication, usually from raw ingredients, for an individual patient pursuant to a prescription. Pharmacists' ability to compound medications from pure ingredients is authorized in federal law and for good reasons: Manufactured drugs don’t come in strengths and dosage forms that are right for everyone, and physicians need to be able to prescribe customized medications when, in their judgment, a manufactured drug is not the best course of therapy for a patient or the proper FDA-approved drug is in shortage.

APC-member pharmacies adhere to the highest standards of quality and compliance. Every one of the active ingredients that they use comes from FDA-registered facilities and manufacturers. Their labs and the equipment in them are subject to exacting regulation and are inspected by state boards of pharmacy and by FDA. And that is as it should be—because, as an industry, we believe in strong, science-based regulation that protects patient health.

APC-affiliated compounding pharmacies play a vital role in the American healthcare system and in each patient's life that they serve. They prepare essential personalized medications for people who typically have no other option, across a range of disciplines and issues, including autism, cancer, dermatology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, women’s health, and more.