What is a compounded medication?
Most prescriptions are filled with ready-made commercial products. A compounded medication is prepared from scratch for one patient, following a prescriber’s instructions, when no commercial product is suitable. The strength, the form (cream, capsule, liquid, suppository), and the inactive ingredients are all chosen for you.
Royal Oaks does not compound on site. We work with accredited compounding pharmacies that prepare each preparation in a dedicated lab under NAPRA compounding standards, then ship it to us. You deal only with us: we take the prescription, coordinate with your prescriber, bill your plan and call you when it is ready.
When compounding helps
- A strength that is not sold, such as a low dose for a child or a dose between two commercial strengths.
- A different form: a liquid for someone who cannot swallow tablets, a topical cream instead of an oral medication, or a suppository.
- Allergies and intolerances: dye-free, gluten-free, lactose-free or preservative-free versions of a medication.
- Children and seniors: flavoured liquids, lower doses and easier-to-take forms.
- Discontinued or back-ordered medications that are still clinically needed.
- Combinations of several ingredients in one preparation, for example pain or dermatology creams.
Commonly compounded preparations
Dermatology
Custom creams, ointments and gels for eczema, psoriasis, acne, scarring and wound care, in the strength your prescriber chooses.
Hormone therapy
Bio-identical hormone preparations such as progesterone capsules, estrogen and testosterone creams, in doses tailored by your prescriber.
Pain management
Topical pain creams that combine anti-inflammatory, nerve-pain and muscle-relaxant ingredients to act where it hurts with fewer whole-body side effects.
Children’s medications
Flavoured oral liquids and small-dose capsules when the only commercial product is an adult tablet.
Veterinary
Pet-safe strengths and flavours for dogs, cats and other animals, on a veterinarian’s prescription.
Other
Mouth rinses, nasal preparations, suppositories, and medications that are temporarily unavailable from manufacturers.
How it works
- Bring or send us the prescription. Your doctor, nurse practitioner, dentist or veterinarian can fax or e-prescribe it to us, or we can contact them if an existing prescription needs to be adapted.
- We confirm the details with you and the prescriber: ingredients, strength, form, flavour and any allergies.
- We check your coverage. Most compounds can be billed directly to your insurance where your plan covers them. We tell you any cost before the order is placed.
- Our partner lab prepares it, usually within 1 to 2 business days, and ships it to the pharmacy.
- Pick it up or have it delivered. Our pharmacist goes over how to use and store it. Refills are reordered the same way, so ask us a week before you run out.
Cost and insurance
Compounded medications are priced by the ingredients and the work involved, so they vary. Many private drug plans cover compounds when at least one ingredient is a covered prescription drug, and we bill those plans directly. Where a plan does not cover a preparation, we give you the price before ordering and an itemized receipt for your records.
Compounded preparations are made for an individual patient on a prescription and are not approved as commercial drug products by Health Canada. Our partner labs follow NAPRA compounding standards and the Alberta College of Pharmacy requirements.
Questions
Do you make the compounds in your pharmacy?
No. We partner with accredited compounding pharmacies that prepare each preparation in a dedicated lab. We handle the prescription, the billing and the pickup, so for you it works like any other prescription.
How long does a compounded prescription take?
Usually 1 to 2 business days from the day we have the complete prescription and your coverage confirmed. Refills take the same time, so reorder about a week before you run out.
Is my compound covered by insurance?
Often, yes. Most private plans cover compounds when at least one ingredient is a covered prescription drug, and we bill directly. We check your plan and tell you any cost before ordering.
Can you compound medication for my pet?
Yes, with a prescription from your veterinarian. Our partner can prepare pet-friendly strengths and flavours.
