Medco mail-order drops hormones
Executive Summary
Medco's mail order pharmacy will cease dispensing compounded estrogen, testosterone and progestin products. In a letter to physicians acknowledging that "the practice of extemporaneous compounding remains controversial," the pharmacy benefit manager asks doctors to consider switching patients to an FDA-approved product. The firm cites claims from physician groups that compounded hormones have not been proven to be more safe or effective than marketed products. FDA is reviewing a Wyeth citizen petition requesting the agency stop pharmacists from compounding bioidentical HRTs (1"The Pink Sheet" Nov. 7, 2005, p. 11)...