Patient Compounding Advocacy: Who’s Deciding What You Can Prescribe?
The future of compounding is formulated far beyond pharmacy walls: it begins in state legislatures, board of pharmacy meetings, congressional offices, and federal agencies. Decisions made at these levels can change what pharmacies are permitted to compound and what’s able to be prescribed to patients.
Providers deserve an advocate fighting for the future of personalized medicine. At Strive, advocacy isn't a talking point; it’s something we practice. That means showing up in the rooms where the rules get written, providing education, and pushing for systemic rigor and people-first policies.
In “Striving for the Future of Compounding,” part of our Strive Sessions series, Tyler Chamberlain, PharmD, Director of Compliance, and Sara Whitt, PharmD, Advocacy Lead, lay out what’s at stake and how prescribers can help lawmakers understand what those decisions mean in practice.
Watch their full conversation below.
Who Sets the Rules for Pharmacy Compounding?
Legislation is only part of the picture. Regulatory decisions deserve your attention, too.
State legislatures and Congress shape legislation. Boards of pharmacy and federal agencies make regulatory decisions that also affect compounding. State proposals can move quickly; federal changes can reach broadly.
That’s why the conversations and action steps landing in your inbox don’t all look alike. Contacting a legislator and submitting a public comment serve different parts of that work. Knowing where your input belongs helps you take part.
A board of pharmacy might not include a compounding pharmacist. Showing up gives us a chance to explain what compounding involves and what a proposed change could mean. We want that expertise in the room.
Three Compounding Policy Issues That Could Affect Patient Access
A definition can change what a pharmacy is permitted to compound. Three examples from the session show why wording matters.
Desiccated Thyroid Extract Classification
The concern raised in the webinar is that a change in the regulatory classification of desiccated thyroid extract, or DTE, would prevent compounding with it. That would remove it as a compounded prescribing option.
Defining “Commercially Available Drug Product”
A proposed change to this definition could prevent pharmacies from compounding certain medications even when they’re in shortage. For prescribers, that makes the definition a question of access during a shortage.
Compounding During Drug Shortages
The session also addresses legislation intended to support drug shortage lists, allow earlier responses, and address transition periods. Those details concern when compounding pharmacies can respond and how that response changes as a shortage ends.
We strive to defend access to personalized medicine by preserving the role of compounding pharmacies in modern care—because healthcare is strongest when providers retain discretion and patients have options.
How Strive Advocates for Compounding in Washington, D.C.
Strive doesn’t advocate alone. We travel to Washington, D.C. with the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding (APC) and the Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA), where compounders share experiences and bring a collective voice to lawmakers.
Hearing how other compounding pharmacies experience an issue broadens our understanding of the industry. That work doesn’t end when the meetings do. Advocacy takes continued engagement, and we keep showing up.
How Prescribers Can Get Involved in Compounding Advocacy
You don’t have to accept the landscape you’ve been handed. You know what patient access means in practice, and lawmakers need to hear that perspective.
Strive advocates for a future where providers retain discretion and patients have options. Your voice can help make that happen.
Visit our advocacy page to explore what we’re working to protect and how you can take part.
See Strive Advocacy in Action
Watch the full conversation above for more on these policy issues and Strive’s work in the field. And sign up for the next Strive Sessions to keep learning with us.
Disclaimer:
This information is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Compounded medications are specially prepared for identified individual patient needs based on a valid prescription from a prescribing healthcare practitioner and, as such, have not been reviewed or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety or efficacy. Compounded drugs are intended for patients whose prescriber has determined their medical needs are not met by an available FDA-approved drug. Prescribers should use their independent clinical judgment when determining appropriateness for individual patients.
