From the other side of the consultation, briefly.

Compounding pharmacy customer here with experience relevant to compounded supply.

I've ordered from 5 different compounding pharmacies over the past 18 months. The quality variation is real — purity ranged from 94% to 101% of label claim based on independent Janoshik testing.

My current compounder (a 503B facility) has been consistently 98-101% purity across 5 orders. I pay $148/month vs $1,338 for brand. The savings are substantial and the product is equivalent in my experience.

Re: compounded supply — this applies whether you're using brand or compounded. The clinical principles are the same.

Following on from sarah_TO — and this may be the naive question:

How long did you give it before you decided it was working?

Dr.RenalNash said:

Compounding pharmacy customer here with experience relevant to compounded supply.

I have been on both brand and compounded, and in the context of compounded supply, my experience has been equivalent with both. The key is finding a reliable 503B pharmacy with independent testing.

Dr.RenalNash said:

Compounding pharmacy customer here with experience relevant to compounded supply.

For compounded supply users considering compounded for the first time: here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Get a prescription from your doctor (telehealth counts)
2. Research 503B compounding pharmacies with good community reviews
3. Verify their FDA registration and inspection history
4. Request a COA for your specific compound before ordering
5. Start with a 1-month supply to test
6. Consider sending a sample to Janoshik for independent verification
7. Track your response compared to brand (if you were on it previously)

Moderator note: the sourcing question belongs in the vendor section and has been split out.