Compounding pharmacies, compared.
Compare compounding pharmacies by location, specialty and facility type. See which credentials have been reviewed and where confirmation is still needed.
503A vs 503B, and why it matters.
A compounding pharmacy is not an FDA-approved drug manufacturer. It prepares medications under federal exemptions — and which exemption it operates under shapes everything about quality oversight and how you can buy from it.
503A pharmacies compound patient-specific prescriptions under state licensure; they're exempt from pre-market approval and federal CGMP. 503B outsourcing facilities register with the FDA, follow CGMP, accept inspection, and can compound in larger batches for office use without patient-specific prescriptions. The trade-off is oversight versus flexibility. For the full regulatory picture, see compounded vs branded peptides and how peptides are prescribed.
What this means when you're buying. If you need office stock ready before a specific patient walks in, that's 503B territory; if you're filling an individual prescription, that runs through 503A. Several larger operators hold both registrations (Empower and Belmar do), so the same company can serve either need — but only the 503B side is held to CGMP and inspected by the FDA on a routine schedule.
Beyond the 503A/503B line, the quality signals worth checking are PCAB accreditation (voluntary, via ACHC), NABP standing, and — for anything sterile or injectable — adherence to USP <797> (sterile preparations) and <800> (hazardous drugs). Those, plus a facility's FDA inspection record, are what we weigh in each profile below.
One caveat up front: legal status here moves. After the 2025 shortage delistings of semaglutide and tirzepatide, bulk 503B compounding of those specific molecules lost its footing — what a given pharmacy may compound can change quarter to quarter, so every profile is dated. See our regulatory tracking for the timeline.
How we evaluate a compounder.
Each profile is built from public, verifiable signals — not marketing. The criteria we weigh:
- 01Accreditation. PCAB (Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board) status, NABP standing, and — for sterile preparations — adherence to USP <797> and <800>. We report only what's verifiable.
- 02Facility status. 503A vs 503B (or both), and what that permits for office-use vs patient-specific supply.
- 03Regulatory record. FDA warning letters, Form 483 inspection findings, recalls, and state board of pharmacy actions. Read the scope, dates and findings in the warning-letter register.
- 04Licensure footprint. State-board license records and pharmacy-reported shipping are checked separately. A license does not establish delivery.
- 05Capability. Sterile vs non-sterile, the peptide and hormone menu, and testing/COA transparency.
Reviewed locations and editorial profiles
The pharmacy finder contains location-specific services, shipping restrictions, license records and review dates. Records with unresolved operating authority are held out of finder results. Unconfirmed information remains labeled.
Our in-depth profiles provide additional editorial context. Use the location records for the latest evidence from this directory review.
Editorial independence We take no payment for coverage, placement or rankings, and we publish corrections. Editorial policy