According to the American Pharmacists Association, community-based pharmacies in the US have soared to more than 56,000 today. From that total, approximately 7,500 offer compounding services. These statistics mean that there are a lot of options to work with. While that can be a good thing as competitiveness often improves service quality, it also means that settling on one pharmacy can be overwhelming. Yet, it’s highly important that you know who to trust with your compounding needs, and therefore your life. Today, we’ll hold your hand and explain just what you need to keep in mind when deciding on a compounding pharmacy. Let’s get cracking.
Consider PCAB Accreditation
The PCAB is essentially a rubber stamp of trust and reliability, so to speak. It is an accreditation that speaks to a facility’s ability to meet the highest standards of quality. Moreover, PCAB accreditation also means that the pharmacy toes the line in terms of meeting regulatory policies.
But the absence of a PCAB license should not be a deal breaker because fewer than 1% of US pharmacies have one. So besides the PCAB you also want to consider other accreditations such as the:
- Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC)
- Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CCPA)
- LegitScript Certification
- Joint Commission (JCO), etc.
Any well-recognized, third-party accreditation is a testament to the competency of a compounding pharmacy.
Read those reviews
Before you settle down on any compounding pharmacy, you want to get opinions from independent third parties. Preferably, current or past patients who have experience with the pharmacy you’re looking up.
Indeed and Yelp make some excellent sources of reviews that are reliable and free of bias. Leverage these platforms to learn what customers are saying about their customer service and their shopping experiences.
What do patients say about the staff? How does the pharmacy respond to negative reviews, that is if they do at all? You can learn a lot about a pharmacy’s dependability, pricing, and quality simply by looking up testimonials outside of the company’s websites. Spare some time to also check out the pharmacy’s social media channels to learn what people are saying about them.
Be sure to also ask around your social circles if you are considering a pharmacy in your area. Friends, colleagues, and family can also be valuable assets in your search for a compounding pharmacy that’s right for you.
Take a look at their website
You can learn a lot about a business by simply taking a look at its website, even more so when we’re talking about compounding pharmacies. A website that lacks professionalism or seems sketchily put together, might also mean that they drop the ball in terms of quality.
Other things you want to pay attention to when examining the pharmacy’s website include:
- Whether the website is regularly updated: This can give you a good perception of how well the pharmacy is keeping up with the times- and the latest technologies
- How well they describe their services: Detailed service and product descriptions often prove experience and expertise. They substantiate skill and know-how
- Range of services: What range of services do they offer? Does this listing meet your exact needs? For example, if you’re an athlete in search of compounding solutions, you want to ensure the pharmacy has experience with sports medicine compounding in the first place.
A website can give you a first impression of whether or not you should trust a pharmacy.
Bonus offers could be a deal breaker
It may also boil down to complementary offers being the difference between two pharmacies that have somewhat similar levels of quality. Of course, all these will boil down to personal preferences.
For example, do you prioritize compounding pharmacies that offer doorstep deliveries over those with just in-person, pick-up options? It’s up to you to know whether or not this is a deal breaker.
Other offers such as coupons and discounts on prescriptions, or the provision of special packaging that helps with medication adherence, are also food for thought. You need to figure out just how much these services matter to you and if you’re willing to prioritize a pharmacy that offers some incentives over those that don’t.
Get up and close with the staff
A compounding pharmacy’s staff is also of great interest when determining whether or not they might be the right fit for you. Overall you want to do your homework on whether the pharmacists have the requisite:
- Educational certifications for the job
- Level of experience in their specialties
- Surplus training for the job
Also just as important is how the staff relate with patients. Are they respectful, friendly, helpful, and patient (no pun intended)? The best compound pharmacists usually have excellent customer service skills to match. If these details are not evident from the website, you can reach out to the pharmacy via a consultation, which is often on the house for most first-time patients. This first contact can tell you all you need to know about how a pharmacy treats its customers.
Medication production timeframe
How long does the pharmacy take to compound meds and fulfill orders? Even the best pharmacies are no good if their turnaround time is extremely long. Get a feel of their processes on their website or through the facility’s communication channels.
Besides providing medication within a reasonable duration, the right pharmacy should also have measures in place to handle emergencies. E.g. in case you forget to fulfill your prescriptions on time, find out how they go about urgent orders. Also, are they willing to intervene with your physician should you run out of refills or hit some other roadblock? These are some other important things to think about.
Trust Bay Life with your compounding needs
Trying to find the right compounding pharmacy can be exhausting. You need to cover a lot of ground with your due diligence. We’ll make the process a lot easier by suggesting an experienced option for your consideration. Bay Life Compounding Pharmacy is a LegitScript-certified establishment, renowned for its success rates and excellent customer service. Easy to reach, attentive, and with an innate desire to help patients live their best life, Bay Life might just be the perfect health partner for you. Visit their website today to learn more about this facility.