Ethics: Using compounded products within the standard of care

By Kenton Morgan, DVM, DACT

Increasingly, some compounding pharmacies are offering (1) preparations that are very similar to approved products, (2) a new formulation of an approved  ingredient (e.g. an injectable form of omeprazole), and (3) formulations of new products containing active ingredients not approved in the U.S. market (e.g. toltrazuril—and there are three FDA-approved products labeled for use in horses for treatment of EPM). Although these may be tempting to consider, equine practitioners should consider what constitutes the standard of care and our ethical obligation to provide that level of care to our patients.