Welcome! We’re different. On purpose.
The Compounder is a licensed retail pharmacy that specializes in compounded medications. Our professional staff uses pure chemical ingredients to make (aka compound) medicines customized for the end-user.
Compounded medicines can be capsules, creams, lotions, topicals, troches, suppositories, oral suspensions, ear drops, nasal sprays, eye drops, and injections.
Some formulas are swallowed, some are applied onto the skin, rubbed into the skin, inserted into an orifice, dissolved under the tongue, dropped into the eye, or injected.
Compounded medicines include a wide gamut of drug products including pain relief, bioidentical hormones, thyroid supplements, erectile dysfunction treatments, and treatments for chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, or arthritis.
We work with the patient and their doctor to make formulations that meet specific patient needs. It’s rare for a compounder to not be able to help both the patient and doctor.
How The Compounder Pharmacy is different...
A whimsical missive, written & performed by Joel Frieders.
– We do not answer incoming phone calls.
Why? During the early part of 2020/Covid, we noticed a huge difference in how we were being treated over the phone. When we said “We do not dispense Ivermectin for human oral use,” most understood and looked elsewhere, yet some chose to attack us for being “sheep”. In a few specific cases, people spent a huge amount of time trying to discredit our business online for following rules handed down from the FDA.
When communicating through text and email, we are able to document everything, which improves communication and minimizes errors. We also notice that people are nicer when they can see a historical account of how they have communicated with us.
Also, gloves are expensive now, and removing them every time the phone rings is a waste of money.
Also, I hate the sound of the phone ringing.
Also, the phone gives me intense anxiety. THERE I SAID IT…
– We do not accept prescriptions left over voicemail.
Why? Medication errors (milligram vs microgram, predNISONE vs predNISOLONE, finger pointing, etc), mispronunciations, misunderstandings, and as a state inspector once said “you can’t scan a voicemail for errors“.
If it’s sent to us in writing, we can confirm who it’s from, what it’s for, who it’s for, as well as when it was received and who sent it.
When we receive a voicemail and someone is “calling in a prescription”, we do our best to type it all out, and send it back to the provider for confirmation that what we heard is correct, and to collect a signature.
– If we don’t answer the phone, how do we receive prescriptions?
Fax, email, escript, paper script dropped off or sent via snail mail / text, or through our RX portal at thecompounder.com/RX – the provider chooses.
As long as it’s in writing.
Fax machine busted? Doctor says they can’t use email or text? This is exactly why we created our RX portal – located in the footer of every page – SUBMIT RX.
If all else fails, get a handwritten RX from the provider and text us a picture and we can take it from there.
– We do not accept insurance, and haven’t since 1996.
Why? Insurance tends to reimburse based on the cost of the chemical, but will not reimburse for labor or the equipment involved in compounding. We also do not communicate with insurance companies, because we’re busy compounding medications.
If your insurance company says they ‘cover compounding’, but then they ask you to ask me for an itemized and detailed list of all ingredients, their NDC numbers, and their individual costs? THEY’RE TOYING WITH YOU. Let me save you the trouble, I will not divulge that information to multi billion dollar corporations.
– Prepayment is required for all custom compounded medications.
Why? I have thrown away too many custom medications over the last twenty years for people who probably had every intention of picking up and paying for their medication. Alas, this keeps us both honest.
We aren’t judging your character for requiring prepayment, we’re saving you the hassle of paying higher prices.
– We do not store credit card information.
Why? Just like you, we get our credit cards hacked every so often. It’s annoying and terrifying when a card doesn’t work because of a fraudulent transaction.
This is why we offer secure payment links through Authorize.net, and utilize Zelle / Chase Quick Pay.
This way, we receive your order, tell you the price, and tell you how to pay, EACH AND EVERY TIME.
Does this take longer? Yes.
Does it stop fraud from occurring? Not completely, but it makes us feel like you know what we’re up to when we say “pay me this much and I will make your medicine”, and it keeps your credit card number in your wallet where it belongs.
ALSO, one reason why we don’t save credit card info is to prevent chargebacks. Hopefully you’ll remember the joy you had in paying for something with my pharmacy and you wouldn’t forget our name and call your credit card company and say something bad about us. One of our long time customers did that “on accident” and it resulted in us not getting paid for something that we WERE paid for, then we made the medication, and months later Mister Chargeback told his credit card company he didn’t give us permission to charge his card. AHA! WE DON’T STORE CREDIT CARD INFO, so how did we take his money if he didn’t give it to us?
– Can you take my HSA / FSA / FLEX CARD payment?
Yes. We are in the SIGIS network and can absolutely use your FSA / HSA / FLEX CARD for payment. These types of cards can only be used at other SIGIS registered establishments, so the risk of fraud is minimized since they can’t buy plane tickets or diamond jewelry with your health savings card. If your card doesn’t work with us, just submit your invoice for reimbursement through your HSA administrator and get your money back.
– Compounding takes time.
We are not an emergency pharmacy, and all orders are filled first come (and prepaid) first served.
We use the 3P’s. Prescription, Prepayment, & Patience.
We don’t do things right now, we do them right.
– Why do you close at 2:30pm on Fridays?
Nothing good happens in a compounding pharmacy after 2:30pm. Also, we like not working and spending time with our families and friends. I also like cooking things with cheese. I am also really into dating my wife.
– You are only open for business when I’m at work! I cannot come pick up my order during business hours!
WE GET IT!
We can set you up with after hours pick up thanks to our alarm company (Quinlan Security Systems). The proper acronym of after hours pick up is AHPU.
We also offer shipping via UPS Ground.
– We are human and do not automate anything.
We do not fill medications without first disclosing current pricing and discussing payment and pick up/shipping.
– In 2025, I created “PIE DAYS”!
A PIE Day is a Pharmacy Institute and Education Day! Read more about PIE Days here: https://thecompounder.com/piedays/
– We are able to be bribed with sweet treats, pictures of pets, and whenever anyone says “No rush”.
If any of this is unclear, send us a text or email and I can do my best to clear it up!
love,
joel – owner
p.s. We have compiled some of our favorite FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on this page: FAQS. So this FAQ page actually stands for FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS…
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send us a text message at 630-859-0333 or 630-381-7413!