Compounding Pharmacy Glossary

Plain-language definitions for the terms that come up most often when working with a compounding pharmacy: regulatory categories, dosage forms, common therapies, and what pharmacies actually do.

B

BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy)

Hormone replacement therapy using hormones chemically identical to those produced by the human body, often prepared by a compounding pharmacy in customized strengths and delivery forms.

C

Compounding Pharmacy

A pharmacy that prepares customized medications for an individual patient based on a prescriber's order.

H

HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)

Hormone replacement therapy, the broader category of treatments that replace hormones the body is no longer producing in sufficient quantities.

L

LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone)

Naltrexone prescribed at strengths well below the commercial 50 mg tablet, almost always compounded by a pharmacy to a prescriber's specification.

N

Non-Sterile Compounding

Preparation of compounded medications that do not need to be sterile, such as oral suspensions, capsules, and topical creams.

P

Pediatric Compounding

Compounded medications prepared for infants and children, often as flavored suspensions or weight-based custom strengths.

S

Sterile Compounding

Preparation of compounded medications that must be free of microbial contamination, such as injectables, IV admixtures, and ophthalmics.

T

Transdermal Preparation

A topical formulation designed to deliver medication through the skin into the bloodstream.

Troche

A small lozenge that dissolves between the gum and cheek to deliver medication via the oral mucosa.

V

Veterinary Compounding

Compounded medications prepared for animal patients, ordered by a veterinarian.

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503A Pharmacy

A traditional compounding pharmacy that prepares medications for individually identified patients based on a prescription.

503A vs 503B

The two federal regulatory pathways for compounding: 503A is for patient-specific compounded prescriptions; 503B is for FDA-registered outsourcing facilities producing batches of sterile compounds.

503B Outsourcing Facility

A federally registered outsourcing facility that can prepare batches of compounded sterile medications without a patient-specific prescription.

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