compounded medication
what “compounded”
actually means.
the deep-dive on the medication path you may be prescribed at norm. how it's prepared, why it's permitted, and who is accountable for quality.
canonical disclosure
Compounded medications, when prescribed, are prepared by licensed pharmacies and are not FDA-approved. They may be prescribed only when clinically appropriate.
what compounded means
prepared by a licensed pharmacy, to a clinician's prescription.
A licensed compounding pharmacy prepares medication using active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) sourced from FDA-registered manufacturers, to the specific prescription written by your clinician.
Compounded preparations are different from FDA-approved branded products — they are not the same product even when they share an active ingredient. A compounded preparation is not FDA-approved, and we will never describe it as such.
why compounded, now
a permitted path during and following declared shortages.
The branded products experienced shortages from 2022 through 2024. Federal compounding rules permit licensed pharmacies to prepare compounded preparations under specific circumstances during and following declared shortages.
Norm partners with a licensed pharmacy operating under those rules. The next section — branded vs. compounded — names the specific branded products and the specific compounded preparations in a controlled context, so the distinction stays unambiguous.
the distinction
branded vs. compounded — the load-bearing distinction.
what we dispense
branded vs. compounded
The medications you may be prescribed at Norm are compounded preparations made by US state-licensed compounding pharmacies. They are not the same product as FDA-approved branded medications, and we will never describe them as such.
FDA-approved branded
Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are FDA-approved branded products manufactured by their respective makers. Norm does not dispense these.
compounded preparations
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are prepared by licensed pharmacies and are not FDA-approved. They may be prescribed when clinically appropriate.
our pharmacy partner
pending pharmacy contractthe structure we are evaluating against.
Pharmacy name, accreditation details, and signed compounding classification will be published here once the partnership contract is countersigned. Until then, the structure below is the published bar.
pharmacy name
Pending publication.
accreditation
Pending publication.
Will be one of LegitScript Healthcare Merchant Cert, NABP-Vipps, or PCAB.
state licensure
California
Non-resident permits added where applicable when state expansion occurs.
compounding class
Pending publication.
Will be 503A (patient-specific) or 503B (outsourcing facility).
sterile standard
USP <797> compliant
API sourcing
From FDA-registered manufacturers
Chain-of-custody documentation under diligence.
BAA executed
Yes
Required before any prescription is transmitted.
API sourcing and quality
only as trustworthy as the active ingredient.
A compounded medication is only as trustworthy as its active pharmaceutical ingredient. Norm's pharmacy partner sources APIs from FDA-registered manufacturers, with chain-of-custody documentation.
Sterility and potency testing are performed per USP <797>. The pharmacy provides API sourcing documentation under diligence, which Norm reviews before any prescription is transmitted.
what this means for you
three roles, three licenses.
Your prescription is filled by a licensed pharmacy under federal and state compounding rules. Norm Health LLC does not dispense, manufacture, or ship medication itself — that is the pharmacy's role and license.
Norm operates the platform. A licensed clinician, working under medical-director oversight, evaluates and prescribes when clinically appropriate. A licensed pharmacy prepares and ships the medication. The full version of the three-entity model is on medical team.
medical oversight
Every case is reviewed by a licensed clinician under medical-director oversight. Medical director information will be published once our supervising physician's services agreement is finalized.
Available in California only at launch. see other states
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Prescription treatment is available only after medical evaluation by a licensed clinician.