Made to order needs a reason.

What the pharmacy is doing

A pharmacist or doctor may prepare a custom medicine rather than use a ready-made product.

This is called compounding.

A need could be avoiding a dye that causes an allergy or making a form someone can swallow.

Know what has not been reviewed

Compounded drugs had not been approved by FDA, a US agency responsible for reviewing medicines, on September 26, 2026.

It does not review their safety, effect or quality before they are offered.

A pharmacy permit alone does not settle whether a particular product meets the rules.

A past shortage does not give continuing permission

When a drug is on FDA’s nationwide shortage list, pharmacies and drug-making facilities may be allowed to make copies under their compounding rules. The listing changes the rule against copies; the other safety and legal requirements still apply.

FDA’s national shortage list did not include injections of semaglutide or tirzepatide on September 26, 2026.

A local pharmacy running out does not amount to that national listing.

A pharmacy filling individual prescriptions cannot routinely copy a ready-made drug that is available to buy. An exception applies when the prescriber decides a change makes a significant medical difference for a particular patient and writes down why.

For example, someone may need a medicine without a dye that causes an allergy. The prescriber must decide whether the change meets the copying rule for that patient.

For these pharmacies, being cheaper is not enough to meet that exception.

Arizona adds its own standards

As of October 6, 2026, Arizona had separate compounding standards for two kinds of makers. One is a pharmacy that fills prescriptions for individual patients. The other is a drug-making facility working under different federal rules.

Ask which kind of maker prepares your medicine and get its full name. Ask Arizona’s Pharmacy Board to confirm its permit and which rules apply. Ask the prescriber why your particular medicine meets those rules.

A drug can still count as a copy when it uses the same medicine, a similar strength and the same way of taking it. Adding a vitamin does not settle that question. The prescriber must document why a change makes a significant difference for the individual patient.