Oral capsules
A capsule holds the active ingredient and a filler. The filler has to blend evenly, so every capsule in the supply holds the same amount, and it can be chosen to leave out a dye or lactose your prescriber flags.
DOSAGE FORMS & BASES
A cream for one patient,
a capsule for another.
A compounded preparation takes the shape your prescriber chooses: a capsule, a tablet, a cream, a gel or another dosage form. What it is made in, the base, is chosen by the pharmacist. Here is how those two decisions fit together, the forms we prepare, and how we make each one the same way every time, for patients in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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FORM AND BASE
Two words worth knowing,
in plain terms.
New to compounded medication? Our guide to what a compounding pharmacy is covers the basics.
One of the questions our pharmacists hear most from clinic teams is why a compounded preparation comes as a cream for one patient and a capsule for another. The short answer is that the prescriber decides. The longer answer is what happens in the pharmacy once that decision is made.
A dosage form is the shape a medication takes when it reaches you: a capsule to swallow, a cream or gel to apply to the skin, a spray, a vaginal preparation. The base is everything in the preparation besides the active ingredient. In a cream, it is the cream itself. In a capsule, it is the filler that sits alongside the active ingredient.
The base is not an afterthought. It decides how a preparation feels, how evenly the active ingredient is spread through it, and how long it stays usable, which is why it matters as much as the form itself.
THE FORMS WE PREPARE
What we can make for you.
Tablets
Some preparations come as an oral capsule or a tablet, depending on the strength your prescriber specifies. Our pharmacist matches the form to the prescription.
Hypoallergenic creams
Creams are applied to the skin. We prepare them in a hypoallergenic base for skin that reacts to other products, so the base suits the person as well as the active ingredient.
Olive oil base topical
A topical prepared in an olive oil base, applied to the skin. It is an option your prescriber can choose when a cream base is not the right fit.
Topical gels
Gels are applied to the skin too, and the base decides how a gel spreads and dries. We prepare testosterone topical gel for men's health programs, along with gels for dermatology prescriptions.
Vaginal preparations and nasal sprays
Vaginal preparations are made for local use, in a base chosen for that purpose. We also prepare combination nasal sprays and sinus rinse capsules with the actives your prescriber chooses.
Read more: Dye-free medications · Progesterone capsules · Testosterone topical forms · Vaginal preparations · Nasal sprays
WHO CHOOSES WHAT
Your prescriber sets the therapy.
We work out how to make it.
Whether a medication is swallowed, applied to the skin or used another way is a clinical decision, and it belongs with your prescriber. If a dosage form is not working for you, such as trouble swallowing capsules or the feel of a cream, talk to your prescriber. If they change it, they send us the new prescription and we prepare it to match, as a new preparation with its own formula. Prescriber details are on our prescriber page.
- 01
Your prescriber chooses the dosage form
Cream, capsule, gel or something else: the route is part of the therapy, so it is your prescriber's decision.
- 02
Our pharmacist chooses the base
We work out which base and which steps can produce that form for your prescription, around any sensitivity your prescriber notes.
- 03
The choice becomes the formula
It is written into the formula our team follows every time, so the base is followed, not chosen again, with each refill.
BEHIND EVERY BASE
The questions we ask first.
Compatibility
Will the active ingredient and the base work together, or would they separate, break down or react?
Accuracy
Can every capsule, and every application of a cream or gel, hold what the prescription says?
Your needs
Is there an ingredient to avoid, such as a dye or lactose? Has your prescriber noted anything about the form?
Stability and storage
What beyond-use date can the pharmacy support, and how does the preparation need to be stored?
Repeatability
Can our team make it the same way every time, following written steps, so each refill matches the last?
A pharmacist's review
A pharmacist reviews every formulation before it is made, and calls your prescriber with any question.
Water matters here. In general, preparations that contain water, such as many creams and gels, receive shorter beyond-use dates than dry forms such as capsules. Our guide to compounded medication beyond-use dates explains the date on your label. Clinics developing their own preparation can read about our formula development team.
QUESTIONS PATIENTS ASK US
The things
worth knowing.
Call 423-975-0597 for current pricing and shipping options for your state.
What dosage forms can a compounding pharmacy prepare?
It depends on the pharmacy. We prepare oral capsules, tablets, hypoallergenic creams, an olive oil base topical, topical gels, vaginal preparations, nasal sprays and sinus rinse capsules. Your prescriber decides which dosage form you receive.
What is a base in a compounded preparation?
The base is everything in the preparation besides the active ingredient: the cream in a cream, or the filler alongside the active ingredient in a capsule. It shapes how the preparation behaves, and it is written into the formula the pharmacy follows each time it makes that preparation.
Who decides whether I get a cream or a capsule?
Your prescriber. The dosage form is part of the therapy, so it is a clinical decision. Our pharmacist then chooses the base and the steps that can produce it, and calls your prescriber if anything on the prescription raises a question.
Can you make a capsule without a dye, lactose or another filler I react to?
Often, yes. Tell your prescriber, who notes it on the prescription, and our pharmacist chooses a base without that ingredient where possible. Our compounded progesterone capsules, for example, are prepared in a cellulose base and contain no peanut oil.
Are there dosage forms you do not prepare?
We are a non-sterile compounding pharmacy. We do not compound injectables of any kind, hormone pellets or patches. Everything else on this page is made to order from your prescription.
Can you ship my preparation to my state?
We are licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We have a 48-hour compounding time on most preparations. Shipping time is additional and varies by destination. A member of our team confirms the price with you before anything is processed, made, or shipped.
Compounded preparations are not reviewed or approved by the FDA for safety or efficacy. This page is for education and reflects what we see in clinical practice; it is not medical advice. Decisions about your care rest with your prescriber.