TFC / Compounding / Pain Management

Pain management compounding

Pain preparations, made to the prescription.

Topical and oral pain-management preparations compounded in our lab from an individual prescription — custom strengths, combination formulations as ordered, and alternative bases where a commercial product will not do.

Refill a prescription → Prescriber consult

Topical

Creams, gels, ointments

Multi-agent

Prescriber-specified

PCAB

Compounding accredited

A compounded topical pain cream being prepared

Topical
Rx

What compounding makes possible

Three things a manufactured product cannot do.

Strengths that are not manufactured

A prescriber can specify a percentage or milligram strength no commercial product is made in, and we compound to it.

Several actives in one preparation

Where a prescription calls for a combination, we prepare it as a single cream, gel or capsule rather than several separate products.

Bases chosen around the patient

Dyes, preservatives and other excipients can be left out, and the vehicle changed, when a patient has reacted to something in the commercial product.

Dosage forms and bases

What we prepare, and in what.

Every preparation is made from an individual prescription. The actives, strengths, ratio and base are the prescriber's decision — the list below is what we are set up to compound, not a recommendation.

Lidocaine / Gabapentin

Topical

Lidocaine 5% + Gabapentin 6% · Pluronic cream

Prepared to order: strengths and ratio as written; alternative base on request.

Diclofenac / Cyclobenzaprine

Topical

Diclofenac 3% + Cyclobenzaprine 2% · Lipoderm gel

Prepared to order: single or combination actives, strengths as written.

Amitriptyline

Topical

Amitriptyline 2% · Lipoderm

Prepared to order: compounded when the commercial dose form is unsuitable.

Ibuprofen / Lidocaine

Topical

Ibuprofen 10% + Lidocaine 5% · PLO gel

Prepared to order: PLO or Lipoderm base, strengths as written.

Gabapentin / Lidocaine / Clonidine / Diclofenac

Topical

Gabapentin 6% + Lidocaine 5% + Clonidine 0.2% + Diclofenac 3%

Prepared to order: multi-active combinations exactly as the prescription specifies.

Ketoprofen / Cyclobenzaprine / Lidocaine

Topical

Ketoprofen 10% + Cyclobenzaprine 2% + Lidocaine 5% · Lipoderm

Prepared to order: strengths and ratio as written.

Baclofen / Cyclobenzaprine / Lidocaine

Topical

Baclofen 2% + Cyclobenzaprine 2% + Lidocaine 5% · Lipoderm

Prepared to order: strengths and ratio as written.

Naltrexone, low-dose

Oral

Naltrexone 0.5 – 4.5 mg · capsule, immediate-release

Prepared to order: custom milligram strengths not available commercially.

Process

From script to your medicine cabinet, in four steps.

Prescriber sends Rx

eRx, fax (323-348-4213), or phone. We'll confirm receipt when we get your Rx.

Insurance & PA support

We bill your plan and submit PA paperwork when needed.

Compounded by hand

Prepared in our USP <795>-compliant lab. Turnaround depends on complexity.

Pickup or delivery

Pickup in store or ask about delivery — call to confirm your address.

PAIN COMPOUNDING

Topical and other pain-management preparations compounded to prescriber specification. This page describes compounding capabilities, not treatment recommendations. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved drug products. Call (323) 348-4205 for transfers, formulation consults, or to check whether we can fill your prescription.

Common questions

Pain compounds, frequently asked.

Why would my prescriber order a compounded preparation?

That is their clinical judgement, not ours. What we can tell you is what compounding makes possible: a strength that is not manufactured, a combination of actives in a single preparation, a different dose form, or a base that leaves out an ingredient a patient reacts to. Your prescriber decides whether any of that applies to you.

Which bases do you use?

Pluronic (PLO), Lipoderm, and anhydrous bases are the ones we stock for topical preparations, and we can prepare oral capsules and suspensions. The base is specified on the prescription; if a patient has reacted to an ingredient in one, tell us and we will raise the alternatives with your prescriber.

Is the prescription covered by insurance?

Sometimes. Compounded pain creams are not always covered. We bill your insurance first; if denied, we can quote a cash price after reviewing the prescription. We can also help submit prior authorization.

What sizes do you dispense?

Tube and jar sizes are set by the quantity your prescriber writes — 30g, 60g and 120g are the ones we fill most often. How long a given quantity lasts depends on the directions on your prescription and how much is used each time, so follow those rather than a general figure.

Can I use this alongside my other medication?

Ask your prescriber and tell us what else you take. We keep your full medication profile and a pharmacist will review it for interactions, but decisions about your overall regimen belong to the clinician who wrote the prescription.

Known by name

Formulas prescribers ask for by their working name.

Some compounds have been around long enough to have nicknames — short-hand prescribers use because writing out the whole formula takes a paragraph. Here's a working list of what we get asked for, with what's actually in each.

ABHR Gel

Transdermal · PLO

Ativan (lorazepam) / Benadryl (diphenhydramine) / Haldol (haloperidol) / Reglan (metoclopramide) in PLO gel.

Use: Hospice and palliative-care anti-emetic when oral or IV access isn't possible. Applied to inner wrist.

Lidocaine / Gabapentin

Topical · Pain

Lidocaine 5% / Gabapentin 6% (sometimes + ketoprofen, clonidine, amitriptyline) in Lipoderm or Pluronic, as the prescription specifies.

Use: Strengths, ratio and base assigned by the prescriber.

Ready to fill a pain compound?

If your prescriber has written the script, transfer to TFC by phone or our transfer form. Prescribers — call our compounding desk for a consultation on formulation, vehicle, and dose.

Refill a prescription → For prescribers Book a pharmacist consult