Pharma: Nonstandard Compounding in Modern Medicines

In Jul 2025, Nat Geo aired a docu on how foreign medicine compounders & distributors "cut" active ingredient drugs with unauthorized fillers, or sometimes replace with toxins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZUKaspykA0

This can mean the drug's compounds are not fully accounted for. This can present problems both in hospital treatment and for outpatient, including but not limited to reduced efficacy, or even unwanted/harmful side effects.

I found this documentary very interesting at the time, and took some notes.

Notable countries of origin to avoid are India and China. Often one provides raw materials for compounding, and then another distributes/ships them. This does not necessarily lay blame at their feet. Hospital admin & Pharma order fulfillment could find ways to be more aware of what brands arrive in shipment, to be distributed to and filled by the pharmacies.

Hospital admin could consider the following changes:

1. For hospital distribution to have a critical look at their medication sources and providers.

2. Each drug blister in a pack, or every bottle, box, or container, should have the following:

• a “lot number” (can be referenced for packing date, compounding date, chemical & shipping info)

• a written drug name (eg Risperdal)

• a written drug brand (in some EU countries, for example, Aurobindo or Sandoz are my only recommends for Risperdal - otherwise the additives often cause edema for inpatient settings, whereas outpatient brands often do not),

• Land of origin (for compounding source)

• Place of distributor (for shipping origin source)

• Whether or not EU/US/Appropriate regional standard.

3. Every box or container should describe the pill.

• a. Eg “white oblong bi-sectioned, 12 and Ab on one side”.

• b. Every pill should have two letters and at least one number.

  
  

This is basic EU pharma standard, and holds true for most internationally certified standards as well.