Sterile and Non-Sterile Compounded Prescriptions Explained
Compounding pharmacists can prepare both non-sterile and sterile compounded prescriptions.
Non-sterile medications are used in or on areas of the body where sterility is not essential — such as on the skin or in the mouth.
Sterile medications must be free of all contaminants when introduced into the body. These include ophthalmic drops, infusions, injections (IV, IM, SQ), and irrigations used inside the eyes, lungs, veins, spine, muscles, or bladder.
Many pharmacies do not offer sterile compounding due to the rigorous regulations, financial investment, and specialized expertise required. At Town & Country, we do both.
What Is a Sterile Compounding Pharmacy?
A sterile compounding pharmacy is one where pharmacists and certified technicians prepare specialized medications in an environment completely free from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and any other organisms that could cause infection.
Learn More: Sterile Compounding Labs →
Why Would a Patient Need a Sterile Compounded Prescription?
Certain drugs, drug combinations, concentrations, or dosage forms a patient needs may simply not be commercially available at a traditional retail pharmacy.
Example 1: Pediatric Myopia
A child prescribed atropine eye drops at 0.01% concentration for myopia (nearsightedness) may find that strength is unavailable at a standard pharmacy. A sterile compounding pharmacy can prepare the exact strength required.
Read the study →Example 2: Prostate Cancer & ED
Patients prescribed tri-mix or quad-mix injections following prostate surgery — or for erectile dysfunction — will often find their local pharmacy has never heard of these medications. A sterile compounding pharmacy is needed.
Learn more →Example 3: Severe Dry Eyes / Sjögren's Syndrome
Patients with conditions like Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus may be prescribed autologous serum eye drops (ASED) made from their own serum. This requires a sterile compounding pharmacy to prepare safely.
Autologous Serum Overview →Town & Country Compounding's State-of-the-Art Labs
Town & Country Compounding is now operating from its state-of-the-art facility in Ramsey, NJ, and ships to multiple states. We compound the highest quality sterile and non-sterile medications as a fully compliant 503A compounding pharmacy.
Our sterile suite comprises 5 dedicated rooms used exclusively for sterile product preparation. The quality standards of our labs match those used by major pharmaceutical manufacturers — and we also work with pharma companies, universities, and physician groups on early-phase drug development and clinical trials.
Explore Our Labs →Prescriptions Compounded in Our Sterile Lab
Atropine Eye Drops (Lower-Strength for Pediatric Patients)
The concentration needed for children with myopia is not commercially available. Our compounding pharmacists can dilute higher-strength commercial products to the precise pediatric dosage — a process that can only be performed in a sterile lab.
Low-Dose Atropine for Kids with Myopia →Tri-mix, Bi-mix & Quad-mix Injections
These injections are commonly prescribed for male patients following prostate surgery or for those who have not responded to standard erectile dysfunction therapies. TCC provides instructional videos for injections and related devices.
Men's Sexual Health →
Autologous Serum Eye Drops (ASED)
ASED are often the solution for patients who have not found relief from conventional therapies for chronic dry eyes. Each patient's own serum is used to formulate their personalized eye drops.
IV Infusions for Nutritional Therapy
*These are compounded with a prescription for a specific patient.
Many commercially available injectable products need to be combined into a custom IV infusion. We prepare them on an individual patient basis with a valid prescription, including:
Ketamine Infusions (IV Ketamine)
Ketamine infusion clinics use this therapy for patients managing psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety, acute suicidal ideation, and chronic pain.
More on Ketamine Infusion Therapy →Intrathecal Injections for Pain Pumps
We compound medications for patients with intrathecal pumps used for chronic pain or spasticity. Orders are filled for pump refills performed at a doctor's office or at home through homecare services. We also compound medications for elastomeric and CADD pumps.
Inspections, Accreditations & Compliance
Town & Country Compounding has been inspected by the NJ State Board of Pharmacy and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), and is accredited by ACHC for sterile compounding, non-sterile compounding, nursing, and home infusion.
Compliant with USP 800, USP 797 & USP 795
NJ-compliant pharmacies must meet USP 800 (hazardous drugs), USP 797 (sterile compounding), and USP 795 (non-sterile compounding) standards. Any pharmacy shipping prescriptions into New Jersey must also comply. Town & Country has invested over a million dollars over two years to meet all new requirements.
See Our Pharmacy Labs →
USP 797 (sterile), USP 795 (non-sterile), and USP 800 compliance are required by compounding pharmacies in New Jersey. Any pharmacy that ships prescriptions to patients in New Jersey must also meet these guidelines.
Facility Upgrades Needed to Protect Employees from Hazardous Drugs →
