Can you get specially compounded medications online?

I hadn't really thought about this issue before until a news item crossed my desk today.

FDA Warns Three Pharmacies To Stop Mass-Producing unproven Inhalation Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned three firms, RoTech Healthcare, Inc., CCS Medical, and Reliant Pharmacy Services, to stop manufacturing and distributing thousands of doses of compounded, unapproved inhalation drugs nation-wide. More..."

So the answer to the question is yes, but the real question is should you? When a pharmacist compounds a medication, it is usually for very specific reasons. For example, you may be allergic to some of the ingredients in the regular version of a drug, or swallowing may be difficult so the pharmacy will compound a liquid or suspension instead of a pill.

The problem? You are really only making the best of a bad situation. A compounded medication may be the only way you can take a much needed medication. Unfortunately, compounded prescriptions are not held to the same standards of good manufacturing practice as those produced by drug manufacturers. There is no testing done to show that these compounded products are safe or effective when compared to standard dosage formats. You might absorb too little or too much of the drug. Compounding pharmacists are taking a calculated risk with your health.

The pharmacies involved in shipping compounded preparations across the country may save you a bit of money by using economies of scale to control their pricing but this practice makes it much more difficult for your doctor to follow the progress of your treatment.

In any case, it looks like the FDA is ready to shut down these pharmacies.

I recommend you continue to use your local pharmacy if you need specially compounded drugs.