In-House Compounded Medications

Compounded medications, such as custom creams or capsules, aren't listed in a drug database. SigmaMD lets you add a compound with its full formula, stock it like any other medication, and dispense it from the patient's chart.

What Is a Compounded Medication?

A compounded medication is a medication charge item with its own list of ingredients. Each compound:

Is identified by a SKU instead of a Medi-Span code
Lists every ingredient with its dose and unit
Keeps the same formula across all of its lots
Can be an inventory or a non-inventory item

Adding a Compound

Go to Billing → Charge Items and select the Inventory items or Non-inventory items tab. Click + Item and choose Medication inventory or Medication non-inventory. Turn on Compound medication at the top of the panel, then fill in:

Medication: the name of the compound
SKU: type your own code or click Generate SKU
Ingredients: each ingredient with its Dose and Unit

Click Add another for each extra ingredient, complete the rest of the form, and click Save.

Add Medication Inventory Item with Compound medication on and two ingredients

When you pick a compound that already exists, by name or SKU, its ingredients fill in and are locked. The new stock is added to that compound as another lot.

In the Charge Items tables, click View ingredients under a compound's name to see its formula.

Charge Items table with a compound ingredients list expanded

What happens when you dispense a compound?

Search for the compound on the Dispense Medication screen as you would any medication. Its ingredients follow it through the workflow:

The medication form and order card list the Ingredients
The bottle label and prescription list each ingredient
Prescription and invoice item details show the formula

Dispense Medication form showing the Ingredients of a compound

Important Considerations

At least one ingredient is required
Each ingredient dose must be greater than 0
Only medications can be compounds, not general items
An existing medication can't be converted to a compound, or back
Ingredients are read-only when you restock or manage the item

Best Practices

Name each compound so staff can tell strengths apart
Restock an existing compound instead of creating a duplicate
Create a new compound when the formula changes

Recording the full formula keeps labels, charts, and invoices accurate for every compound you dispense.