Compounding Pharmacy

Q. Why does my doctor refer me to a compounding pharmacy for my fertility medications?

A. Most pharmacies don’t carry a ready supply of most fertility drugs for a couple of simple reasons: They don’t sell them often, and they’re expensive to keep on hand. A compounding pharmacy is one that specializes in formulating medications tailored to a patient’s needs. Since some fertility drugs, like progesterone suppositories, need to be compounded and not all pharmacies have the supplies or time to make these special formulations, some compounding pharmacies have developed a specialty in fertility treatment. These pharmacies have more of the drugs you’re likely to need, making it easier for patients to get everything in one place, and they may also be more familiar with billing insurance companies for fertility medications. Any pharmacy can fill a prescription, though; it may just take longer, and the pharmacist and her staff may be less familiar with billing for these drugs.

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