Dermatology Compounding Pharmacy
Some prescriptions don't exist on a shelf. The strength your prescriber wants isn't manufactured, the two actives come in two separate tubes, or the only commercial base contains something you react to. That is a formulation problem, and it is what a compounding pharmacy is for.
We prepare topical medications as prescribed by your healthcare provider, one patient at a time, in our own lab on Main Street in downtown Lititz. We are independent, we are licensed throughout Pennsylvania, and a pharmacist answers our phone.
What Compounding Adds
Three things a compounded topical can do that a manufactured tube cannot, all of them as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
Customized strengths
Commercial products arrive in fixed percentages. We prepare the preparation to the strength your prescriber specifies, including strengths that fall between the commercial increments.
Allergens, dyes, and preservatives left out
If you react to something in the commercial base, that is a formulation problem with a formulation answer. When the prescription allows it, we prepare the medication without the ingredient in question.
Multiple actives in one application
Where your prescriber orders it, more than one active can be prepared in a single preparation. One cream instead of three means one step in the routine instead of three — a practical difference, applied once.
Formulations and Bases We Prepare
A base is not packaging. Prescribers choose one for how it spreads, how it is tolerated, and where on the body it goes — an ointment behaves differently from a gel, and both behave differently from a foam. These are the forms we prepare and the bases behind them:
| Form | Base |
|---|---|
| Creams | Oil-in-water emulsions |
| Ointments | Water-in-oil or petrolatum |
| Gels | Aqueous or hydroalcoholic |
| Lotions and solutions | Prepared to the written order |
| Foams and shampoos | Prepared to the written order |
| Nail lacquers | Prepared to the written order |
Prescribers commonly request Kligman-type formulas, combination topical antibiotic preparations, corticosteroid-plus-keratolytic combinations, and combination minoxidil preparations. That is representative rather than a catalog — if your prescription names a formulation you don't see here, call and ask about it specifically.
Our full set of standard dosage forms is on the compounding services page.
Our scope, plainly
We prepare non-sterile topical medications only. No ophthalmic preparations, no injectables. We are also not a skincare line — everything we make is prepared on a prescription, for a named patient.
For Dermatologists, Medspas, and Aesthetic Practices
We prepare custom strengths, combination topicals, allergen-free preparations, and base-specific formulations on your prescription. 503A patient-specific, non-sterile only.
A named pharmacist will discuss a formulation with you before you write it — the base, the vehicle, the strength, whether it will hold together. Call (717) 626-2222 and ask for a pharmacist; that conversation is routine here. Prescriptions come in by e-prescribe, phone, or fax 717-626-7920.
BLT cream is among the preparations practices request from us for professional use. As with everything else, it is prepared on a prescription for a named patient.
One boundary worth stating up front: we cannot supply office stock. 503A compounding is patient-specific by definition, so each preparation needs a prescription with a patient named on it. Account setup and how we work with practices are covered on our providers page.
Our Pharmacists
Your preparation is made and checked by a named pharmacist, not an anonymous facility. Our compounding team is Chet Patel, PharmD, RPh; Vishesh Patel, PharmD, RPh; and Brian Bradshaw, RPh, who brings more than 30 years of compounding experience to the bench.
They are formulation experts rather than dermatologists — what to prescribe is your prescriber's call, and we will talk the base and the strength through with them. What we can tell you is what is possible to prepare and how to use it.
Call (717) 626-2222 and ask for a pharmacist about a specific preparation. You will be talking to the person who makes it.
How to Get Your Prescription Filled
- 1
Your prescriber sends the prescription.
They can e-prescribe it, call it in at (717) 626-2222, or fax it to 717-626-7920. If the base, the strength, or the combination needs discussing, our pharmacists will talk it through with them before it's written.
- 2
We confirm the details with you.
Tell us if there is an ingredient you react to, or a base you have had trouble with before. We will raise anything that needs the prescriber's sign-off rather than guessing.
- 3
We prepare it here.
Each preparation is made individually for one patient rather than pulled off a shelf, so there is preparation time involved. We will tell you when to expect it when you call.
- 4
Pick it up, or let us bring it.
Pick up at 100 East Main Street, use parking-lot pickup, or take free local delivery in the Lititz area. Refills work with one call. Prescriptions are Pennsylvania-only.
What it will cost
Cost depends on the medication, the strength, and the base your prescriber wrote for, so there is no single number we can post. Call (717) 626-2222 with the details and we will walk you through it.
Refills, transfers, and delivery
We handle transfers from another pharmacy and set up refills with one call. Free local delivery and parking-lot pickup are available in the Lititz area. Refills & transfers · Delivery & curbside
We are at 100 East Main Street in downtown Lititz. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 6:00, and Saturday, 9:00 to 1:00; closed Sunday. Call (717) 626-2222 or see our contact page for directions.
Common Questions About Compounded Topicals
What is a dermatology compounding pharmacy?
It is a pharmacy that prepares topical medications individually on a prescriber's order, when the commercial product doesn't come in the strength, the base, or the combination a patient needs. Instead of dispensing a manufactured tube, we prepare the preparation your prescriber wrote.
Do I need a prescription?
Yes — from your dermatologist or another prescriber. They can e-prescribe it, call it in at (717) 626-2222, or fax it to 717-626-7920, and we take it from there.
Can you make my medication without a specific ingredient I react to?
Often, yes. Allergens, dyes, and preservatives can be left out of a preparation when the prescription allows it. Tell us the specific ingredient and we will tell you plainly whether we can prepare it without.
Can you combine two of my creams into one?
When your prescriber orders it, yes. The practical difference is one application instead of two or three — fewer steps in the routine, prepared as a single preparation.
What does a compounded topical cost?
It depends on the medication, the strength, and the base your prescriber wrote for, so there is no single number we can put on a page. Call us with the prescription details and we will walk you through it.
Do you make eye drops or injectable dermatology preparations?
No. Those are sterile preparations and we don't make them. We prepare non-sterile topicals: creams, ointments, gels, lotions, solutions, foams, shampoos, and nail lacquers. If your prescriber has ordered a sterile preparation, they can point you to a pharmacy that prepares them.
Do you supply office stock for practices?
No. We are a 503A pharmacy, so every preparation is patient-specific — made on a prescription for a named patient. We cannot supply non-patient-specific office stock.
Call us — we'll tell you what we can make.
(717) 626-2222, Monday through Saturday. Have your prescriber send the prescription over, or if you're a practice, ask for a pharmacist directly.
Compounded medications are prepared to a licensed prescriber's order and are not reviewed or approved by the FDA for safety or effectiveness. Nothing on this page is medical advice.