Searching for a compounding pharmacy near you returns whoever is closest. That is a useful list of addresses and a poor answer to the actual question, which is: who can make what my prescriber wrote, legally, for someone living where I live?
Distance is the last thing to check, not the first. If you are still working out what a compounding pharmacy is and what it can prepare, that background comes before this checklist. Here is the order we would put it in.
Is the pharmacy licensed in the state where you live?
A pharmacy needs a license from the board of pharmacy in the state where the patient lives, not only the state where the pharmacy sits. That is called a nonresident or out-of-state license, and it is what allows a compounder in one state to fill and mail a prescription for a patient in another.
This cuts both ways. A pharmacy ten minutes from your house that is not licensed for your dose form is no use to you, and a pharmacy three states away that holds a license where you live can ship to your door.
Before you ask a prescriber to send anything, check the states where Bayview is licensed. It is a faster filter than a map.
Does it matter whether it is a 503A pharmacy?
There are two kinds of compounder. A 503A pharmacy compounds for one patient at a time, against a valid prescription with that patient's name on it, under state licensure and USP standards. A 503B outsourcing facility registers with the FDA and makes batches for clinics and hospitals to keep on the shelf, without a patient-specific prescription.
If you are a patient holding a prescription, you are looking for a 503A compounding pharmacy. Bayview is one, which is why everything we make starts with a prescription in your name. Neither kind produces FDA-approved products: compounded preparations are not reviewed or approved by the FDA for safety and effectiveness.
That same distinction is why a compounder does not keep your preparation waiting on a shelf the way a chain store keeps a commercial product. We set out how compounding and retail pharmacies differ in a separate post.
Can it make the dose form on your prescription?
This is the check people skip, and it is the one that most often sends a prescription back. Compounding is not one activity. It is several, done in different rooms under different chapters of the United States Pharmacopeia. Non-sterile work covers most of what patients pick up. Sterile work needs a cleanroom, environmental monitoring and testing that non-sterile work does not require.
| Dose form | Standard | Example preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Capsules, troches | USP 795 non-sterile | Low dose naltrexone |
| Creams, ointments, gels | USP 795 non-sterile | Topical pain cream |
| Oral suspensions | USP 795 non-sterile | Flavored antibiotic suspension |
| Suppositories | USP 795 non-sterile | Diazepam / baclofen suppository |
| Eye drops | USP 797 sterile | Fortified tobramycin drops |
| Injections | USP 797 sterile | Vitamin B12 injection |
Ask about the form written on your prescription, not about compounding in general. A pharmacy well set up for creams and capsules may not do low-dose atropine ophthalmic drops, which are sterile work in a different room.
Dose form is also the reason a lot of families end up at a compounder at all. Someone who cannot swallow a tablet may be prescribed a flavored oral suspension of a drug that is only manufactured as a solid.
Other prescriptions are written to be absorbed in the mouth rather than swallowed, which is what sublingual troches and rapid dissolve tablets are for. A pharmacy that does not make that form cannot fill that prescription, however close it is.
Will it tell you the price before it compounds?
Compounded prescriptions are usually paid out of pocket, and prices vary a lot by ingredient, strength, base and quantity. A pharmacy should be willing to tell you the price before it compounds, and to say plainly whether shipping is included. If you cannot get a number in advance, that is worth noticing.
Our searchable catalog of compounded medications lists a starting price on every preparation page, so you can see the range before anyone picks up a phone.
Coverage is the other half of that question. Most compounded preparations are not billed through insurance, and what that means for you sits with the rest of the ordering questions on our cost and ordering FAQ.
When does being close by actually matter?
Being local counts for something in a few situations: you need the preparation today, it is fragile or short-dated, you want to hand something to a pharmacist and be handed something back, or the prescription is for a controlled substance, where shipping rules are tighter and vary by state.
For most compounded prescriptions, none of that applies. A capsule, a cream, a topical pain cream or a rinse travels fine, and a refill you can plan a week ahead does not need to be collected in person.
Liquids are where timing matters more. A preparation such as magic mouthwash carries a shorter beyond-use date than a capsule does, so it is worth asking how long yours is good for and planning refills around that.
Can a pharmacy in another state fill your prescription?
Yes, when it holds a license where you live. Bayview fills and ships prescriptions for patients in the states where it is licensed, in plain packaging, with temperature protection when a preparation needs it.
One exception applies in New York. Controlled substances are dispensed only on a prescription written for a named patient, and Bayview does not ship controlled substances to New York addresses. Non-controlled prescriptions, which is most of what we compound, ship normally.
If you live somewhere Bayview does not hold a license, look for a compounder that does. The questions above are the ones to ask them, in the same order.
What does Bayview compound?
Bayview is a 503A pharmacy in Warwick, Rhode Island, founded in 2006, compounding on a prescriber's order. Non-sterile preparations are made under USP 795 non-sterile compounding, and sterile preparations are compounded in our USP 797 sterile lab. Dose, strength and whether a compounded preparation is appropriate at all are your prescriber's decisions.
Common orders include low dose naltrexone capsules from $100, custom oral suspensions from $71 and topical pain creams from $120, each prepared to the strength on the prescription rather than to a fixed commercial dose.
Skin preparations are a large part of the work, including compounded tacrolimus in otic, rectal, topical and scalp forms from $122.
The catalog is grouped by area, so a pain and palliative care prescription and an eye preparation sit in different sections and carry different price ranges.
If your prescription is dermatological, our post on dermatology compounding covers when a prescriber reaches for a compounded preparation and when a commercial product does the job.
Naltrexone has its own post on what the low dose preparation is and how prescribers order it.
How do you send a prescription to Bayview?
Your prescriber can e-prescribe to Bayview Pharmacy, Warwick, RI (NCPDP 4106882), fax an order form to 401-284-4506, or call 401-284-4505. You can also ask us to transfer a prescription you already have at another pharmacy.
We do not write prescriptions or provide consultations. We dispense and compound what your prescriber orders. Talk to your prescriber about whether a compounded preparation fits what you need, and which dose form to write for.
Frequently asked questions
What is compounding?
Compounding is the practice of preparing a medication tailored to an individual patient's prescription. Instead of a mass-produced product, a compounding pharmacy makes the medication to the specific strength, form, or combination your provider orders.
Examples on this site include medications compounded as liquids for people who cannot swallow pills, thyroid capsules made to a T3/T4 ratio no manufactured product offers, and all-purpose nipple ointment, which combines three actives that are not sold together commercially.
How is Bayview Pharmacy different from a retail pharmacy?
Bayview Pharmacy specializes in customized medications that are not commercially available, including sterile and non-sterile compounded preparations.
Are compounded medications FDA-approved?
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. They're prepared by a licensed pharmacy pursuant to a valid prescription for an individual patient, under USP standards. The FDA does not review compounded medications for safety or effectiveness.
Do you follow USP compounding standards?
Yes. We follow USP 795, 797, and 800.
Do you perform sterile compounding?
Yes.
Our sterile laboratory operates under USP 797. Preparations made there include fortified gentamicin, tobramycin and vancomycin eye drops, low-dose atropine drops, and preservative-free hydromorphone infusions for hospice and palliative care.
Is Bayview Pharmacy licensed?
Yes. We are licensed and regulated by the state board of pharmacy.
What states do you ship to?
Bayview fills and ships prescriptions for patients in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, Maine, and Pennsylvania.
New York: Bayview currently serves eligible New York patients on a limited basis under New York's isolated-transaction criteria. Full nonresident pharmacy registration is pending. We do not ship controlled substances to New York addresses.
If you are not sure whether your prescription is affected, call us at (401) 284-4505 and we will check before anything is prepared.
Can I send a controlled-substance prescription for a New York patient?
Not at this time. Bayview does not dispense or ship controlled substances to New York addresses, so please do not send controlled-substance prescriptions for patients at a New York address — we will not be able to fill them.
Non-controlled prescriptions for New York patients are filled and shipped normally. Every other state we serve — Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, Maine, and Pennsylvania — is unaffected for both controlled and non-controlled medications.
If you have a question about a specific patient or prescription, call our pharmacists at (401) 284-4505.
Do I need a prescription?
Yes. All of our medications require a valid prescription from a licensed provider. We're a dispensing and compounding pharmacy, so we don't provide consultations or write prescriptions. If you don't have one yet, you'll need to see a provider first.
Can you fill a prescription from my own provider?
Yes. Your provider can send your prescription to Bayview Pharmacy by e-prescribe, fax, or phone, or you can transfer an existing prescription from another pharmacy.
Can prescriptions be transferred to Bayview Pharmacy?
Yes, prescriptions can be transferred directly to us by completing this transfer prescription form.
Do you ship medications directly to patients?
Yes.
How much do compounded medications cost?
Pricing varies depending on ingredients and formulation complexity.
Do you accept insurance?
Most compounded medications are not covered by insurance. We can always try and run your insurance prior to compounding your prescription if you wish.
What Bayview compounds for this
Important: Compounded medications are prepared to a prescriber's order for an individual patient. They are not FDA-approved, and the FDA has not evaluated them for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality. This article is educational and is not a substitute for advice from your prescriber or pharmacist.
This preparation contains a controlled substance. Controlled-substance prescriptions carry refill limits, must be e-prescribed, and can only be shipped to states where Bayview holds the required licensure.
Uses discussed here may be off-label, meaning they are not part of any FDA-approved labeling. Off-label use is a decision for you and your prescriber, based on the available evidence.
Veterinary preparations are compounded to a veterinarian's order for a specific animal and are not FDA-approved animal drugs. Never give a compounded human medication to an animal without veterinary direction.
Compounded prescriptions are paid for directly rather than billed through insurance. Most are HSA/FSA-eligible, and many patients submit the receipt to their plan for possible reimbursement. Pricing depends on the strength, dose form and quantity your prescriber orders. Read more about cost and insurance.
Bayview Pharmacy is a compounding pharmacy in Warwick, Rhode Island, licensed to fill and ship compounded prescriptions for patients in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, Maine and Pennsylvania. Prescriptions for New York patients are filled on a limited basis, and controlled substances are not shipped to New York addresses. See every state we ship to.
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