Phone:1-206-878-3900, Fax:1-888-878-1118 customerservice@keycompounding.com

Provider FAQ

Do you compound medications for office use only?

We do not compound medications for OFFICE USE. We only ship pursuant to a valid prescription prescribed for a specific patient.

Customized compound medications

Key Compounding Pharmacy can customize compound medications to meet the needs of you and your patients. Provide us with as much detail as possible and we will respond with the drug availability and price.

Our compounding pharmacists working closely with you and your physician can prepare medication in a dosage form that has been customized to your particular needs.

For any questions or to speak with a pharmacist, please call: 1-800-878-1322

PLEASE NOTE: We do not take custom requests for sterile compounds. Also, we do not compound a product that is commercially available.  We do not compound medications for OFFICE USE.

Unique medication delivery for your unique needs

 With the prescriber’s authorization, pharmacists can custom-prepare medications in a variety of unique dosage forms, including:

  • Capsules
  • Oral liquids
  • Troches or lollipops
  • Topical preparations
  • Suppositories
  • Eye and ear drops
  • Nasal sprays
  • Sterile injections

Custom Flavoring

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Custom flavoring is available for most oral medication forms, and unique delivery systems may be employed to help give medication to finicky patients. Many medications can be taken through a flavored lollipop. Infants especially benefit from alternate delivery devices such as pacifiers or baby bottles. These devices, which are provided in child-proof packaging, allow parents to dispense prescription medicine easily and accurately.

Capsules

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Medication can be compounded into customized capsules, especially in cases where an alternate strength is required or to omit potential allergens or irritants, such as dyes, preservatives, or gluten. To lessen the number of doses to be taken, multiple medications often can be combined into a single dosage or made into sustained-release capsules. Vegetarian capsules made from cellulose are available for patients who do not want to take a gelatin capsule.

Oral Liquids

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Many medications can be compounded as oral liquids for those patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets and capsules. Some patients may have problems tolerating the taste of a commercially available liquid, but a compounding pharmacist can make a pleasant-tasting, custom-flavored oral solution or suspension which can be administered easily and accurately. Some medications may be available as effervescent powders, which are mixed with water to make a fizzy drink.

Troches/Lollipops

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Troches and lollipops are used to keep drugs in the mouth when local action is needed there. Troches also may be placed under the tongue and allowed to dissolve, which allows the medication to enter the bloodstream quickly and easily. Some troches can be chewed and swallowed by a patient who cannot or will not take a capsule or tablet. These dosage forms can be enhanced with natural sweeteners and pleasant-tasting flavors, making them ideal for geriatric and pediatric patients.

Topical Preparations

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Topical methods of delivery also are widely used because they allow the absorption of medicine directly through the skin, and may help avoid potential side effects such as stomach upset or drowsiness. Topical medications often are prescribed for pain management, inflammation and nausea/vomiting. They are easy to use and are effective delivering the medication as needed. Topical medication forms include:

  • Gels
  • Creams and lotions
  • Sprays
  • Foams
  • Stick applicators, such as lip balms

Suppositories

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Patients who cannot take medications orally are ideal candidates for compounded suppositories. Available in various shapes depending on the route of administration, suppositories can be given rectally, vaginally or urethrally. By melting or dissolving into the body cavity, they allow the medication to pass quickly into the bloodstream. They can be used for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), to fight nausea, or to treat local conditions such as hemorrhoids, infections, or inflammation.

Do Compounded Medications Require FDA Approval?

The FDA approval process is intended for mass-produced drugs made by manufacturers. Because compounded medications are personalized for individual patients, the federal government has approved the use of compounded medications for those individuals who have received a prescription for that specific compounded medication.

Have you ever had a patient who had difficulty taking the medication you prescribed?

You’re not alone. Patient non-compliance is a familiar challenge and can result in the treatment being less effective than it should be.

Common reasons for patient non-compliance may include:

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  • Stomach upset when taking oral medication
  • Reluctance to take the medication due to its taste
  • Issues with the route of administration, such as difficulty swallowing pills
  • Requiring a different dose of medication than that which is available from a manufacturer
  • Difficulty keeping track of multiple medications
  • Patients who don’t want to take medication at all, especially children or pets

A compounding pharmacist may be able to provide solutions for challenges such as these. Working closely with the patient and the prescriber, compounding gives the pharmacist the means to customize medication to meet the individual needs of each patient.

What is the process for handling my patient’s compounded prescription?

Please check out our online resources.

What kind of prescriptions can be compounded?
  • Hormone replacement therapy
  • Hospice
  • Pediatrics
  • Pain management
  • Ophthalmology
  • Dentistry
  • Otic
  • Dermatology
  • Medication flavoring
  • Neuropathy
  • Veterinary
  • Sports medicine
  • Wound therapy
  • Podiatry
  • Gastroenterology
  • And many more
Physician Organizations
Key2health Webinar for Pharmacist

Key Compounding Pharmacy believes it is important to promote the continuing education of members of the pharmacy profession. Pharmacists play a key role in facilitating the physician-patient communication and the successful implementation of treatment plans.

Rapid changes in genomics, medical technology, medically oriented consumer electronics, biomaterials, artificial intelligence and tissue engineering are pointing the way to a radically different future for medicine. In addition to changing the way diagnoses are made and therapies applied, these developments will create a major shift in the traditional patient-physician relationship.

Key Compounding Pharmacy through its Key2Health Professional Webinar Series is helping to foster awareness of these new developments and evolve their practices to meet the new clinical future.  Our Key2Health Professional Webinar Series offer continuing education credits to pharmacists through the Washington State Association of Pharmacists (WSAP).

Training Videos

Training for the Philips Respironics Elegance:

Training for the Omron NE-U22V nebulizer:

Training for the Nasoneb:

Training Resources

Below is a link to an article about the nystatin regime developed by Dr John Mansfield at the Burghwood Clinic, Surrey over many decades while working there as a Consultant Allergist.

Nystatin - how to take it

Still need help? Send us a note!
For any other questions, please write us at ppr@keycompounding.com or call us on +800.878.1322.
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