Patient-specific prescriptions
Written for one patient, by name.
Patient-specific is a phrase with a specific meaning under the 503A statute. It's not marketing.
Definition
By name. By evaluation. By prescription.
A patient-specific prescription is one a doctor writes for an identified individual patient after evaluating them. The prescription names the patient. The doctor's signature is on the prescription. The pharmacy fills only that prescription, for that patient.
Compounded medication from a 503A pharmacy is dispensed only on a patient-specific prescription. Not for inventory. Not for office use. Not for bulk supply.
Why it matters
Liability, safety, and law line up.
The patient-specific requirement is the legal and operational core of the 503A statute. It's the reason 503A pharmacies don't keep open inventories of compounded drugs that anyone can purchase.
It's also the reason the doctor and the pharmacist each have specific authority. The doctor is responsible for the evaluation and the prescription. The pharmacist is responsible for verification, compounding, and release.
More context
Read more.
Why compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and what that means for your patients.