You might have heard last year's meningitis in people caused by contaminated methylprednisolone acetate from a compounding pharmacy in the Northeast. A compounding pharmacy obtains raw ingredients for a drug and formulates them into a useable medication. They tend to operate below the radar of the FDA. NPR did a great piece on the fungal meningitis outbreak, asking why anyone would use a compounding pharmacy if there is risk of the product being improperly formulated or contaminated. One answer: "[Hospitals] depend on compounding pharmacies for smaller dosages or preservative-free products. In a growing number of instances, it's a matter of national shortages with FDA-approved versions."
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