The Do’s and Don’ts of Marketing Compounded Medications

Patients often seek pharmacies that offer customized therapy options, and frequently these customized options take the form of compounding services. Not only can compounding lead to increased revenue for pharmacies, it also makes it easy to establish long-term relationships with customers.

A few weeks ago, we plotted out several key considerations to weigh before deciding whether compounding is right for your pharmacy. If you’re reading this perhaps you’ve already made the decision to move forward offering compounded drugs - good for you! Yet, as is the case with any new venture, both doctors and your patients are unlikely to take advantage of a new service they are unaware of.

Before you go headlong into a marketing campaign though, take into account that given the many restrictions set by its governing entities, you must always be careful in how you present your compounded medication and their advertised results.

Regardless of the individual and consistent successes you have seen, you still cannot promote compounded preparations as safe and effective for treating a specific condition unless the drug has been expressly pre-approved by the FDA to treat it. A good way to remain on the safe side of the law is to ensure any performance claims have an adequate, documented, and factual foundation, while also avoiding any suggestion that compounded medications are generic products or can be substituted for other drugs. Compounds are uniquely formulated for the consumer and are therefore different from mass manufactured medications in that they cannot be extensively tested and studied.

So as you draft this year’s marketing plan, never forget that (thanks largely to the internet) these practices are easily monitored by big drug companies and organizations like the FDA. No one wants to engage in risky promotional behavior that could potentially open them up to FDA inspections, FTC warning letters, subpoenas, injunctions, fines, private litigation and, well, you get the idea.

Keep the following general do’s and don’ts in mind as you move forward so you can continue to take advantage of new patients and doctors who value your compounding services while covering all your legal bases.

 Please keep in mind that these are merely best practices. If you’re ever in doubt, please seek legal advice from a qualified representative.  

DO:

• Let folks know you value individual patients’ needs and offer compounded medications in your pharmacy.
• Build relationships with your patients as well as their prescribing physicians to explore and expand customized treatment options.
• Be careful about overstating any promised outcomes of the preparations you compound- you don’t want to be accused of making false claims.
• Make sure any promotional materials clearly state that a licensed physician or veterinarian must write the prescription for any compounded medications.
• Always be conservative when making statements and don’t hesitate to consult with a legal professional if there’s ever a question.

DON’T:

• Discourage your patients from gravitating towards manufactured alternatives such as synthetic hormones. Rather, evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
• Make a direct comparison between your compounded medications and other generic or brand-name manufactured products.
• Get on a regulatory body’s radar by using incendiary language to make public criticisms of contested regulatory issues.
• Promise your customers they can save money by using compounded preparations over manufactured products.
• Post quotations or testimonials from doctors, scientists, or studies you don’t know to be trusted sources.

As always, we welcome any compounding pharmacy questions. Simply call us at 800-878-2822 and ask to speak with our Compounding Advisor.

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