In the form of Questions and Answers issued on June 29, 2012, the FDA recommends healthcare providers prescribe FDA-approved Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection) made by K-V Pharmaceutical Company as the first-line
for clinically-indicated patients. The FDA has not determined any other form of progesterone to be effective for this medical condition. The FDA also explained its enforcement policy towards compounded formulations of
hydroxyprogesterone caproate. The FDA Questions and Answers state:
The FDA Questions and Answers are as follows:
What is pharmacy compounding?
The FDA regards pharmacy compounding as the combining or altering of the ingredients of a drug by a licensed pharmacist to produce a drug tailored to an individual patient’s particular medical needs, based on a valid prescription from a licensed medical practitioner. For example, compounding may occur if a patient needs a medication to be produced without a dye or preservative due to an allergy, or needs a medication in a liquid or suppository form because the patient cannot swallow a pill.Should health care professionals prescribe and patients take the FDA-approved drug product rather than the compounded product?
If there is an FDA-approved drug that is medically appropriate for a patient, the FDA-approved product should be prescribed and used. Makena was approved based on an affirmative showing of safety and efficacy. The company also demonstrated the ability to manufacture a quality product. The pre-market review process included a review of the company’s manufacturing information, such as the source of the API used in the manufacturing of the drug, proposed manufacturing processes, and the firm’s adherence to current good manufacturing practice.Compounded drugs do not undergo the same premarket review and thus lack an FDA finding of safety and efficacy and lack an FDA finding of manufacturing quality. Therefore, when an FDA-approved drug is commercially available, the FDA recommends that practitioners prescribe the FDA-approved drug rather than a compounded drug unless the prescribing practitioner has determined that a compounded product is necessary for the particular patient and would provide a significant difference for the patient as compared to the FDA-approved commercially available drug product.
How will a patient know if she is receiving Makena or a compounded product?
A patient can ask her health care provider what product is being administered. A label will also be visible on the vial or syringe with information such as the patient name, prescription number, and name of the product. Typically, if the pharmacy dispenses the FDA-approved product, it will have the brand name “Makena” on the label.Will the agency take any enforcement action against pharmacies compounding versions of hydroxyprogesterone caproate products?
The FDA may take enforcement action against
compounding pharmacies if warranted. The FDA makes its enforcement decisions
about compounded products on a case-by-case basis after considering the
particular facts at issue. As we explained in the June 15, 2012, statement1, the
compounding of any drug, including hydroxyprogesterone caproate, should not
exceed the scope of traditional pharmacy compounding.
Are pharmacies free to compound large volumes of hydroxyprogesterone caproate as long as none of their drugs are tested and found to be unsafe?
No. The FDA does not consider compounding large volumes of copies, or what are essentially copies, of any approved commercially-available drug to fall within the scope of traditional pharmacy practice. One factor that the agency considers in determining whether a drug may be compounded is whether the prescribing practitioner has determined that a compounded product is necessary for the particular patient and would provide a significant difference for the patient as compared to the FDA-approved commercially available drug product.The FDA may take enforcement action against pharmacies that compound large volumes of drugs that are essentially copies of commercially available products and for which there does not appear to be a medical need for individual patients to whom the drug is dispensed.
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