Compounding - Regulation in Australia

Regulation in Australia

In Australia there is no regulatory board that governs how and where a Pharmacist compounds medications. It is very important for consumers to choose their Australian Compounding Pharmcies carefully as they are all self regulated. The only guidelines that need to be followed are by the Pharmacys governing body – The Pharmacy Board – where the only regulation is that a compounded product be prepared on an individual basis (not manufactured) and they follow the Professional Practice Standards – Section 10. Since compounding has grown in popularity, the highest quality compounding chemists are self regulated. Compounding Chemists Australia, is a website devoted to ensuring they only list reputable compounding chemists. It is not uncommon to find compounding being performed in the pharmacy's back room near the kitchen sink, however, this is not illegal. Sterile compounding and non-sterile compounding have different requirements. For sterile compounding, the use of a laminar flow hood or vertical flow hood must be used. In non-sterile compounding, including most topical compounded medications, a hood is not required and does not adversely effect potency or quality of the final product.