The practice of preparing medications dates back to the origins of pharmacy; yet, compounding’s presence througout the pharmacy profession has changed over the years. In the 1930s and 1940s, approximately 60 percent of all medications were compounded. During the 1950s and 1960s, with the advent of manufacturing, compounding declined. The pharmacist’s role as a preparer of medications quickly changed to that of a dispenser of manufactured dosage forms.
In the 1980s, and especially in the 1990s, physicians and patients again began realizing the benefits of preparing customized medications to meet specific patient needs. Today, an estimated .7 to one percent of all prescription are compounded daily.