Pharmacy inspections sporadic at best — and some pharmacists would welcome more

CHAMPAIGN How many compounding pharmacies there are in Illinois is unknown. There are 3,316 licensed pharmacies in Illinois, and any of them could be compounding, according to the state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

"Every pharmacy can be a compounding pharmacy," department spokeswoman Sue Hofer said.

The state inspects each pharmacy, on average, once a year, with a staff of six licensed pharmacist inspectors, she said.

The Food and Drug Administration also has the authority to inspect pharmacies, but because the state conducts routine inspections and pharmacies are exempt from federal registration if they meet certain conditions, the FDA lacks a full inventory of U.S. compounding pharmacies, FDA spokeswoman Sarah Clark-Lynn said.

The agency conducts inspections in response to complaints or when it has reason to believe a violation has occurred, and then works with states to take appropriate action, she said.

Some compounding pharmacists say they don't always see state inspectors annually.

"In the old days, you saw a state inspector every year, but that isn't the case now," said Doug Higgins, owner of Doug's Compounding Pharmacy in Paxton.

Kathy Munday, owner of St. Joseph Apothecary, said the state comes in and inspects "whenever they choose to, sometimes it's been as long as three months, sometimes it's two years."

Inspections aren't announced, she said.

"You're always on your toes, and you should be," she adds.

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Pharmacy inspections sporadic at best — and some pharmacists would welcome more