Patient-specific compounding, explained for the Philippines.
Written by the Obra editorial team. Sources listed below.
Compounding is the work a pharmacist does to prepare a medicine, including the calculations, mixing, assembling, packaging or labeling. Under the Philippine Pharmacy Act, only registered and licensed pharmacists may compound and dispense, and no pharmaceutical product may be compounded, dispensed or sold to the public except through a retail drug outlet licensed by FDA Philippines. At Obra, each compounded medicine is prepared for one named patient, on a licensed doctor's prescription.
What compounding is
RA 10918 defines compounding as the processes a pharmacist performs in preparing a drug, including the calculations, mixing, assembling, packaging or labeling.
Who may do it, and where
Under RA 10918, compounding and dispensing may be done only by registered and licensed pharmacists.
Under RA 10918, no pharmaceutical product may be compounded, dispensed or sold to the public except through a retail drug outlet licensed by FDA Philippines. Under RA 9711 (FDA Act of 2009), selling, distributing or retailing any drug without an FDA License to Operate is prohibited.
Medicines prescribed through Obra are prepared by a licensed pharmacist at a verified partner pharmacy: a drugstore that holds a License to Operate from FDA Philippines with additional activities for sterile and non-sterile compounding. We don't name the pharmacy on this site yet.
Our partner pharmacy also has its products independently tested by third-party labs: Janoshik in the Czech Republic and SGS in Manila for local testing. Certificates of analysis are available on request.
One prescription. One patient. One preparation.
A patient-specific medicine is prepared for one identified person, based on the prescription a licensed doctor wrote for them. It is not taken from ready-made stock, and it is not ordered without a doctor.
The doctor
Evaluates the patient and decides whether a medicine is appropriate. Writes the prescription for that patient.
The pharmacist
Prepares the medicine. Under RA 10918, dispensing includes reading, validating and interpreting the prescription and counseling the patient.
The patient
Receives a medicine prepared for them by name, and may fill the prescription at another pharmacy.
Obra
Coordinates the steps between them. Licensed doctors prescribe and a licensed pharmacist prepares.
What the pharmacist checks
Under RA 10918, dispensing includes the pharmacist reading, validating and interpreting the prescription, and counseling the patient.
Under RA 10918, the licensed pharmacist of a pharmaceutical establishment or outlet must ensure products meet standards of safety, quality and efficacy.
How compounded medicines differ from branded ones
Branded medicines such as Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro® and Zepbound® are made by their manufacturers and approved for specific uses. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are prepared by a pharmacist for one patient. They are distinct from those brands, and the brands' approvals and trial results should not be assumed for compounded versions.
Prescription required
RA 10918 defines prescription medicines as medicines a pharmacist may dispense only on a valid prescription from a physician, dentist or veterinarian.
Your choice of pharmacy
You may fill the prescription your doctor writes through Obra at any pharmacy you choose.
Patient-specific is not the same as research-use-only.
FDA Philippines has warned the public against unregistered tirzepatide and retatrutide sold online, including vials labelled "for research only" and one labelled "Compounded in USA". These products have no Certificate of Product Registration, so there is no assurance of their quality, safety or efficacy.
| Patient-specific medicine through Obra | Counterfeit or research-use-only products | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | A licensed doctor evaluates you and writes a prescription for you. | Anyone can buy. No doctor is involved. |
| Who prepares it | A licensed pharmacist. | Unknown. |
| Where it is prepared | A drugstore that holds an FDA Philippines License to Operate with additional activities for sterile and non-sterile compounding. | Unknown. |
| Testing | Independent third-party testing by Janoshik (Czech Republic) and SGS Manila. Certificates of analysis are available on request. | No assurance of quality, safety or efficacy, according to FDA Philippines. |
| Who it is for | One named patient, on that patient's prescription. | Anyone. Often labelled "for research only" or "not for human consumption". |
| What the label tells you | Your name, the medicine and the doctor's directions. | Often a purity percentage or the word "compounded", which proves nothing on its own. |
| Where it is sold | Only after a doctor's review and prescription. | Online, with no prescription needed. |
What regulators have said
- FDA Advisory No. 2026-1309 warns against an unregistered product labelled 'Tirzepatide 30mg Purity >99.5% [HPLC] For research only'.
- FDA Advisory No. 2026-1306 warns against an unregistered product labelled 'ZMZ Peptides Tirzepatide Compounded in USA', sold with a diluent labelled 'Research Use Only'.
- FDA Advisory No. 2026-0814 warns against an unregistered 'Tirz Laine Tirzepatide 30mg/3 mL 99% Purity'.
- FDA Advisory No. 2026-1392 warns against an unregistered retatrutide 30 mg lyophilized powder for injection.
- The US FDA has warned companies that illegally sold unapproved semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide and similar drugs falsely labeled 'for research purposes' or 'not for human consumption'. The US FDA says counterfeit drugs could contain the wrong ingredients, too little, too much or no active ingredient, or other harmful ingredients.
- WHO Medical Product Alert N°2/2024 (June 19, 2024) reported falsified batches of Ozempic (semaglutide) and advised getting medical products only from authorized or licensed suppliers.
FDA Philippines tells the public to check whether a product is registered on its verification portal or its list of verified unregistered health products. You can search it at verification.fda.gov.ph. If someone sells you an injectable weight-loss medicine without a doctor's prescription, do not use it.
Sources
- Republic Act No. 10918, Philippine Pharmacy Act (Lawphil)
- Republic Act No. 9711, Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 (Lawphil)
- FDA Philippines Advisory No. 2026-1309
- US FDA, concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss
- FDA Philippines Advisory No. 2026-1306
- FDA Philippines Advisory No. 2026-1392
- FDA Philippines Advisory No. 2026-1301
- FDA Philippines Advisory No. 2026-0814
- World Health Organization, Medical Product Alert N°2/2024 (falsified Ozempic)
This page summarizes Philippine law for general information. It is not legal advice. Company details (doctor licensing, partner pharmacy licensing and testing, privacy registration and pharmacy choice) are confirmed by Obra Health.
A doctor decides first.
Start with a free assessment. A licensed doctor reviews it before anything is prescribed.