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Ryan Dyer, RPh.

Founder & Pharmacist in Charge
20+ years in compounding
University of Rhode Island
RI Pharmacist License #RPH04568

About this author

Ryan D. Dyer, RPh, is the founder and Pharmacist in Charge of Bayview Pharmacy in Warwick, Rhode Island. He has spent more than 20 years in pharmaceutical compounding, preparing medications to a prescriber's exact specification for patients whose needs a manufactured product does not meet. A Maine native, Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island and returned home to Maine, where he worked as a pharmacy manager for Wal-Mart in Bangor. In 1998 he opened Pittsfield Pharmacy in Pittsfield, Maine, and ran it as an independent community pharmacy until 2005. In 2006 he founded Bayview Pharmacy in Rhode Island. He has served as its Pharmacist in Charge ever since, overseeing the pharmacy's non-sterile, sterile and hazardous-drug compounding practice and the accuracy of every preparation that leaves the building. He is licensed as a pharmacist in Rhode Island and in Maine. Ryan reviews the clinical content published on this site. An article carrying a "Medically reviewed by Ryan Dyer, RPh" line has been checked by him for accuracy and for compliance with the claim standards that apply to compounded preparations.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy University of Rhode Island

Career

2006 to present Founder and Pharmacist in Charge, Bayview Pharmacy, Warwick, Rhode Island 1998 to 2005 Owner and Pharmacist, Pittsfield Pharmacy, Pittsfield, Maine Before 1998 Pharmacy Manager, Wal-Mart, Bangor, Maine

Areas of expertise

Pharmaceutical compounding, Non-sterile compounding (USP 795), Sterile compounding (USP 797), Hazardous drug handling (USP 800), Community pharmacy practice, Pharmacy operations and quality

Articles written and reviewed

Understanding the Basics of Nutrition: A Guide for Newbies to Eating Healthy

Understanding the Basics of Nutrition: A Guide for Newbies to Eating Healthy
A plain-language starting point on macronutrients, portions and reading a label, without the jargon or the fad diets.
understanding-the-basics-of-nutrition-a-guide-for-newbies-to-eating-healthy

Compounded Minoxidil Solutions: A Personalized Approach to Hair Loss Treatment

Compounded Minoxidil Solutions: A Personalized Approach to Hair Loss Treatment
Minoxidil can be compounded at strengths and in vehicles no manufacturer makes, and combined with other agents a prescriber orders.
compounded-minoxidil-solutions-a-personalized-approach-to-hair-loss-treatment

Compounded BLT Topicals: What They Are and How They Are Used

Compounded BLT Topicals: What They Are and How They Are Used
BLT is a compounded, prescription-only topical anesthetic used before dermatologic and cosmetic procedures. What is in it and how it is used.
compounded-blt-topicals

All-Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO): What It Is and How It Is Used

All-Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO): What It Is and How It Is Used
A compounded, prescription-only preparation associated with Dr. Jack Newman. What is in it, how it is used, and what to ask your prescriber.
jack-newmans-all-purpose-nipple-ointment

Compounded Ketamine Nasal Spray: What the FDA Has Said

Compounded Ketamine Nasal Spray: What the FDA Has Said
A controlled substance prepared only against a prescription. The FDA has issued a specific alert about it that is worth reading first.
ketamine-nasal-spray-an-alternative-treatment-option-for-pain-management

Low-Dose Naltrexone: What It Is and What the Evidence Shows

Low-Dose Naltrexone: What It Is and What the Evidence Shows
A compounded, off-label use of an approved medication. What it is, how it is thought to work, and what the evidence does and does not show.
what-is-low-dose-naltrexone

Nail Fungus (Onychomycosis): Treatment Options and What to Expect

Nail Fungus (Onychomycosis): Treatment Options and What to Expect
How onychomycosis is confirmed, what oral and topical treatments achieve in trials, where compounding fits, and how long treatment takes.
innovative-treatments-for-nail-fungus-using-compounded-medications

Compounded Medications for TMJ Disorders: What to Know

Compounded Medications for TMJ Disorders: What to Know
What temporomandibular joint disorders involve, the treatment options a prescriber may consider, and where compounded preparations fit.
compounded-medications-for-tmj

Dermatology Compounding: When It Helps and When It Doesn't

Dermatology Compounding: When It Helps and When It Doesn't
The specific problems compounding solves in dermatology, what it cannot do, and how the vehicle changes the way a drug behaves.
customized-skincare-solutions-an-introduction-to-dermatology-compounding

Low-Dose Atropine Eye Drops for Myopia Progression in Children

Low-Dose Atropine Eye Drops for Myopia Progression in Children
Low-dose atropine is prescribed by eye doctors to slow short-sightedness in children. How it is used and what the evidence currently shows.
atropine-ophthalmic-drops-for-the-prevention-of-myopia-progression

Compounded Options in Pain Management: What They Are and What to Ask

Compounded Options in Pain Management: What They Are and What to Ask
What compounded preparations are in pain management, where they fit, and what the evidence does and does not support.
exploring-compounded-alternatives-to-opioids-for-safe-pain-management

Balancing Your Hormones With Hormone Replacement Therapy

Balancing Your Hormones With Hormone Replacement Therapy
What hormone replacement therapy involves, the forms it is prescribed in, and the questions worth raising with your prescriber.
balancing-your-hormones-with-hormone-replacement-therapy

Clomid: A Potential Treatment for Hypogonadism or Low Serum Testosterone Levels

Clomid: A Potential Treatment for Hypogonadism or Low Serum Testosterone Levels
Clomiphene citrate is prescribed off-label in men for low testosterone. How it is thought to work, and what a prescriber weighs.
clomid-a-potential-treatment-for-hypogonadism-or-low-serum-testosterone-levels

Testosterone Therapy for Women: What the Evidence Supports

Testosterone Therapy for Women: What the Evidence Supports
No FDA-approved testosterone product exists for women in the US, so every prescription is off-label. What the trial evidence supports.
testosterone-replacement-therapy-for-women-what-you-need-to-know

Compounded Rectal Rockets: What They Are and What Goes In Them

Compounded Rectal Rockets: What They Are and What Goes In Them
Compounded rectal suppositories are prescribed for hemorrhoids and anal fissures. What goes into them and how they are used.
compounded-rectal-rockets

Drug Shortages and Compounding: What Is Actually Allowed

Drug Shortages and Compounding: What Is Actually Allowed
What federal law actually allows a compounding pharmacy to make when a drug is in short supply, and what it does not.
drug-shortages-and-compounding

Immune Support Supplements: What the Evidence Actually Says

Immune Support Supplements: What the Evidence Actually Says
What the evidence supports for vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, echinacea and elderberry, what it does not, and what to ask a pharmacist.
a-comprehensive-guide-to-immune-boosting-supplements

Dry Socket Paste: What It Is and How It Is Used

Dry Socket Paste: What It Is and How It Is Used
Dry socket can follow a tooth extraction. The risk factors, the signs to watch for, and what medicated dressings are used for.
dry-socket-paste

Testosterone Replacement Therapy: What It Is and What to Weigh

Testosterone Replacement Therapy: What It Is and What to Weigh
Testosterone replacement therapy is prescribed for diagnosed hypogonadism. What it involves, the known risks, and why diagnosis comes first.
testosterone-replacement-therapy-trt-a-complete-overview

Oxytocin: The Love Hormone with Multiple Uses

Oxytocin: The Love Hormone with Multiple Uses
What oxytocin is, the compounded forms it is prescribed in, and what is and is not established about its use.
oxytocin-the-love-hormone-with-multiple-uses

Horny Goat Weed vs. Sildenafil: What the Difference Actually Is

Horny Goat Weed vs. Sildenafil: What the Difference Actually Is
One is a dietary supplement, the other is an approved prescription medicine. The distinction matters more than most comparisons of the two let on.
horny-goat-weed-vs-viagra-whats-the-difference

Sildenafil (Viagra): How It Works, How It Is Taken, and Safety

Sildenafil (Viagra): How It Works, How It Is Taken, and Safety
How sildenafil works, how it is taken, the interactions that matter most, and where compounding does and does not fit.
viagra-the-most-well-known-erectile-dysfunction-drug

Palliative Care: Easing the Suffering of Chronic Illness

Palliative Care: Easing the Suffering of Chronic Illness
What palliative care involves, and the compounded preparations a hospice or palliative team may order for symptom control.
palliative-care-easing-the-suffering-of-chronic-illness

5 Easy Ways to Get Started With Exercise

5 Easy Ways to Get Started With Exercise
Five small ways to build a routine you will actually keep, written for people starting from nothing with no gym.
5-easy-ways-to-get-started-with-exercise

Compounding Sublingual Medications

Compounding Sublingual Medications
Why some medications are placed under the tongue, how absorption differs from swallowing, and which forms are compounded that way.
compounding-sublingual-medications

Compounding and Retail Pharmacies: What's the Difference?

Compounding and Retail Pharmacies: What's the Difference?
A compounding pharmacy prepares medications to a prescriber's specification; a retail pharmacy dispenses manufactured products.
compounding-and-retail-pharmacies-whats-the-difference