Plain meaning
Made to order instead of ready-made
In compounding, a licensed pharmacist or doctor mixes the medicine themselves instead of dispensing a finished product from a drug company.
A patient need may call for a different form or ingredient mix.
Key limit
Made to order is not FDA-approved
As of September 2026, FDA does not check a compounded drug for quality, safety, or effect before it is marketed.
That fact applies even when the pharmacy is licensed.
Connecticut layer
State checks still apply
USP stands for United States Pharmacopeia, a group whose rules are the national standard for making sterile medicines. You can ask a pharmacy whether it follows them.
As of September 2026, Connecticut pharmacies that make sterile medicines, such as injections, must follow the USP rules and generally make them only for a named patient’s prescription.
An out-of-state pharmacy needs Connecticut registration and extra approval for sterile compounding.