How to use it: mark Yes only for what you have actually verified or been told in writing — a verbal "of course" is Not yet. The three-point items are the ones that decide it; a No on any of them should stop the conversation until it is resolved. The score is out of 46.

Licensing and registration

Pharmacy license in its OWN state is active and unrestrictedLook it up on that state's board of pharmacy licence search yourself — do not accept a PDF.

Non-resident / out-of-state licence for EVERY state you treat patients inThis is the one that quietly lapses. A pharmacy may ship legally into 40 states and not yours.

If they supply office stock: registered with FDA as a 503B outsourcing facilityFDA publishes the registered list. A supplier of non-patient-specific product who is not on it is the whole ballgame.

No unresolved board discipline, consent order, or FDA warning letterBoard actions and FDA warning letters are both public. Ask about anything you find rather than assuming.

Quality and testing

Certificate of analysis available per LOT, not per productA COA for a different lot proves nothing about the vial in your hand.

Potency, sterility and endotoxin testing done by an independent accredited labIn-house-only testing is not disqualifying, but independent testing is the stronger answer.

Documented compliance with USP <795>, <797> and, where relevant, <800>Ask which chapters apply to what they make for you, and how they evidence it.

Voluntary accreditation (PCAB/ACHC, NABP) or a clear explanation of why notVoluntary, so absence is a question rather than a verdict.

Straight answer on recall history and how customers were notifiedEveryone has events. How they told people is the signal.

The product itself

Beyond-use dates stated up front for each preparation you will orderShort BUDs are the hidden cost behind an attractive per-unit price.

Can name the source of each bulk substance and which FDA list it sits on'We can source it' is not the same statement as 'we may lawfully compound with it.'

Clear position on the essentially-a-copy limits for what you are orderingThis is what makes compounded product availability move year to year.

Documented cold-chain handling, and a stated policy for a shipment that arrives warmGet the who-eats-the-cost answer in the agreement, not on the call.

Operations

Turnaround time stated as a range, with what happens when they miss itA pharmacy that will not put a number on it is telling you something.

A named human you can reach — not only a portal or a general inboxThe value of this becomes obvious the first time a patient's shipment is lost.

Honest answer about capacity if your volume triplesBetter to hear 'that would be tight' now.

Commercial terms

Written pricing, including shipping, with notice periods for changesPer-unit price without shipping and without a change-notice clause is not a price.

No exclusivity, minimum-volume commitment, or auto-renew you did not ask forThe clause that costs the most is usually the one nobody read aloud.

Your patient data and records remain yours, contractuallySay it in the agreement, not in the meeting.

A stated exit: notice period, transfer of open scripts, no hostage inventoryHow you leave matters more than how you join.

The verdict

out of 46 points verified

Verified0

Still unanswered0

Answered no, or refused0

Deal-breakers outstanding0

Nothing checked yet. Work down the left. Anything you cannot get a straight answer on is itself an answer.

Have us run it with you

WeightingThree points = a licensing, sterility-assurance, or contractual item that can end the relationship. Two = materially affects cost or risk. One = worth knowing.

Why "Not yet" is not zero-riskAn unanswered question on the day you sign is an unanswered question on the day something goes wrong.

What it will not tell youWhether the price is good. That is the easiest thing to compare and the least likely to hurt you.

The long version

Each of these has a reason behind it

The checklist is the short form. How to vet a compounding pharmacy explains what each item is actually protecting you from, how to verify it yourself in public records, and what a good answer sounds like versus an evasive one.

If you want the vocabulary first — beyond-use dating, bulk substance lists, office use, essentially-a-copy — the compounding glossary defines all of it in plain English with FDA and USP sources.

Run it on us, then run it on everyone else.

We place clinics with 503A and 503B pharmacies for a living, which means we have watched these answers go well and badly for years. A 15-20 minute call will tell you which of your outstanding items actually matter for what you are ordering — and we are happy to be scored by the same list.

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Educational information for licensed medical providers and practice owners. Eventide is a connector, not a pharmacy: we do not compound, own, warehouse, ship, or take title to medication. This guide is not legal, regulatory, or clinical advice, and it does not evaluate or endorse any particular pharmacy. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved — FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality before use. Requirements vary by state, license type, and practice structure, and they change. Verify every item with the applicable state boards, the FDA, and your own counsel before you sign anything.