[Explainer] why "compounded" does not mean "generic"
why "compounded" does not mean "generic". If you already knew this, the post is not for you and you can scroll on.
Asked which facility and got a name straight away. Looked it up, found the registration, felt considerably better about the whole thing.
The intake asked me three questions and none of them were about my history. That told me everything I needed to know about the model.
Concentration on the compounded vial was different from what I had been using and I nearly did the arithmetic on autopilot.
I will update this if the picture changes rather than quietly leaving it up.
best — the order this archive was captured in
Left up. It describes an arrangement with specifics and it is honest about the jurisdiction.
Nothing in this thread is medical advice, and the choice between arrangements is one for you and a prescriber who knows your history.
a telehealth intake that asks nothing has told you what it is
Left up.
Disagreeing with this bit: registration is not equivalence, and the two get run together constantly.
Switched between two compounded preparations and the concentration on the label was different. Redid the arithmetic on paper before drawing anything.
Yes. The shortage list is the legal hinge for the whole arrangement and its status is public.
potency testing on the finished preparation is the thing to ask for
do not assume the concentration matches the branded product
Same view. If the intake asked you nothing, the intake was a formality and you should factor that in.
What did the intake actually ask you?
A 503A pharmacy compounds for an identified patient against a prescription. A 503B outsourcing facility registers with the regulator, may produce without patient-specific prescriptions, and is subject to current good manufacturing practice requirements. The two are governed differently and the difference is not cosmetic.
Did they name the facility?
Asked for potency testing on the finished preparation. They had it. I had assumed they would not.
The shortage list is the legal hinge: the permissions that allow certain compounding to happen at scale are tied to a drug’s shortage status, which changes.
ask which facility, then ask for their testing
Who is the prescriber, and are they the same organisation as the pharmacy?
503A is patient-specific, 503B is outsourcing facility, they are not the same thing