Peptides Purchased Online vs Compounding Pharmacies
Compounding Pharmacies
Peptides that are compounded through compounding pharmacies must follow USP <795> and USP <797> guidelines. These guidelines help maintain quality healthcare standards and processes. These standards help protect the patient from receiving harmful or improperly made compounded preparations. Compounding Pharmacies are also under the supervision of the Board of Pharmacy specific to their state. Between USP guidelines and the Board of Pharmacy regulations, stringent requirements are placed on compounding pharmacies to protect the end-user patient on receiving quality medication. To provide a peptide to a patient through a pharmacy a receipt of valid prescriptions by a licensed physician is required.
Online Peptide Suppliers
Conversely, you can purchase peptides online. Peptide suppliers online:
- Must be licensed in the state they are operating/selling peptides in
- Are not required to provide or perform any testing on their products through licensed analytical labs
- Label products for “research and development purposes” or “ not for human use” to bypass any testing requirements of their products
There are very few requirements for online suppliers to sell peptides or other supplements online. There is no regulatory body in place to assure the safety, composition, ingredients, and dosage form of the peptides being purchased. There is no requirement for a doctor’s prescription in order for individuals to legally purchase peptides online. There is no regulation or requirement in place to verify the suppliers are using pharmaceutical grade ingredients. Many online suppliers also:
- Use fillers and/or byproducts in their peptides
- Include additives which might be harsh or harmful to consumers
- Add unnecessary ingredients to the peptides, diluting their efficiency/effectiveness
- Use counterfeit, illegal, and unauthorized drugs which are sold online (black markets)
- Do not perform any testing to confirm the sterility, potency, or endotoxin of sterile supplement
Another concern with online suppliers is the fact that they may be located and operate outside the United States. Therefore, the FDA and other governing bodies can’t regulate the production of peptides or other supplements sold online through these black markets.
What is A Better Approach?
Purchasing through a licensed, US-based compounding pharmacy (like South Lake Pharmacy) is the superior alternative for various reasons:
- No fear of Black Market drugs
- Pharmacies are monitored and regulated by the State Board of Pharmacy
- Licensed Compounding Pharmacies follow the necessary laws and regulations in place to ensure your safety
- A prescription is required to purchase compounded peptides or medication online
- Ingredients are pharmaceutical grade
- Compounding of these peptides is being performed under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist
- Purchase of raw materials is from FDA registered facilities which ensure that we are buying a quality ingredient from an FDA inspected facility
- A certified lab and clean room which is compliant with both USP <795> and USP <797> standards are being used to compound your medications
- Compounded sterile preparations are being tested through a third-party analytical lab for potency, sterility, and endotoxin
- Compounded Preparations are quarantined and not dispensed until all testing is received back from the third party analytical labs
For these reasons, compounding pharmacies are a better and safer choice. Additionally, compounding pharmacies can customize ingredients or dosage forms, in a way that online suppliers can’t. It is also important to be familiar with what regulations are in place that keeps patient safety in mind. If given a choice, compounding pharmacies are the superior avenue. They are a little higher priced than an online supplier but with the quality of the ingredients being used, regulations they follow, and testing performed to produce a quality preparation offsets the increased cost.
To learn more about our Peptides and how you can begin using them, learn more Peptides here.
This article was first provided by South Lake Pharmacy and was written by Dr. Majed
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