Have you wondered about the benefits of offering compounding to patients in your area? If so, you’re not alone. According to a 2024 Drexel University article, many more pharmacists are opting to help their local patients struggling to find relief through commercially manufactured drug products. Here’s how one such professional, Jody Gilby, BSP, a Canadian pharmacist, realized she wanted to provide more personalized care for her community.
Compounding Has Improved My Patients’ Quality of Life
When I opened Sprucewood Pharmacy in Lloydminster, Alberta, in 2017, compounding wasn’t just an untapped opportunity — it was a missing piece in our community’s care. Patients were already coming into my pharmacy with prescriptions for custom medications, and we had to outsource them. I knew there had to be a better way. That’s what set me on the path to create a lab of our own and start solving problems directly, right here at home.
“Patients were already coming into my pharmacy with prescriptions for custom medications, and we had to outsource them.”
Tailoring Medications for Patients Individual Needs
What drew me to compounding was its creativity and the chance to offer real alternatives for patients who couldn’t get what they needed off the shelf. Early on, I reached out to a colleague, who encouraged me to dive into the personalized medicine aspect of pharmacy. At the time, there wasn’t a single compounding pharmacy in my town of Lloydminster. That made the decision easy — we had an opportunity to offer something truly valuable to a community that was already looking for it.
Where I Found the Most Helpful Clinical Support and Compounding Training
“PCCA was instrumental in helping me get started. That support hasn’t stopped.”
Their team guided me through designing a lab that met Alberta’s new regulatory standards and supported me every step of the way, beyond sales, with meaningful advice and education. That support hasn’t stopped. Over the years, they’ve been a steady source of continuing education, regulatory guidance, product innovation and clinical support — all of which have helped me grow and specialize, especially in therapeutic areas like bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
Compounding, at its core, is collaborative. It’s a daily conversation between pharmacists, patients and physicians. And when people in the community start recognizing your expertise, they begin to seek you out — not just for a prescription, but for help solving problems.
Why I Do What I Do as a Compounding Pharmacist
One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing the impact it has on people’s lives. I think about Linda, who came to me after a series of severe urinary tract infections that just wouldn’t respond to antibiotics. I ran a hormone panel and, working with her physician, recommended BHRT and vaginal estriol. I also identified Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and we started her on low-dose naltrexone (LDN). The change was dramatic — her energy came back, the infections stopped and she felt healthy again.
Another example: our growing group of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. These kids receive complex care in major urban hospitals, but when they come home, they often need medications in formats that don’t exist commercially. We’re able to compound those medications locally, making their daily lives easier and reducing the burden on families who already have so much to manage.
Building Trust and Visibility as a Way to Market Your Pharmacy
In a community like ours, word of mouth is everything. And the feedback we hear most often is that we’re “the pharmacy that offers alternatives.” That reputation didn’t happen by accident. We’ve held lunch-and-learns with local physicians, spoken at community events and shared what compounding can do, particularly around BHRT and pain management. I also provide hormone consults in collaboration with physicians and nurse practitioners, which has led to more referrals and stronger relationships across the board.
“Compounding has shaped my career in ways I never expected.”
Compounding has shaped my career in ways I never expected. Thanks to the training and resources from PCCA, I’ve been able to expand my scope, challenge myself and bring new value to the patients I serve. It’s a field that keeps you curious, and that’s what makes every day worth it.
For Anyone Considering Compounding
If you’re a pharmacist or technician thinking about getting into compounding, here’s my advice: Do it. It’s an evolving, dynamic field that rewards curiosity and keeps you growing. Every day presents new challenges — and new chances to make a difference.
At the end of the day, compounding is about relationships. It’s about being the one who says, “We can figure this out.” And for me, that’s the most rewarding part of the job.
About the Pharmacist
Jody Gliby, BSP, is a proud partner of Sprucewood Pharmacy and The Compounding Corner Pharmacy Lab. She earned her degree from the University of Saskatchewan and was born and raised in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada.
Jody is passionate about optimizing patient health outcomes through collaborative care and personalized service, and specializes in both female and male bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She believes in helping her patients make responsible and healthy lifestyle choices that empower them to live their best lives. Her approach is centered on providing individualized care, ensuring that each person’s unique health needs are met with compassion and professionalism.