Pharmacy compounded sema vs research chem vials — quality / potency differences?
19 posts
Been on compounded sema from a US pharmacy for 7 months. Considering switching to research-labeled vials for cost. Has anyone noticed potency or consistency differences between the two sources? Skeptical the compounded product is actually superior given it's the same API, but curious if others have directly compared.
3 Replies
115 posts
Third-party lab testing on research chem sema has shown wide variation in both potency and purity between vendors. Compounded pharmacy product at least has CoA and USP-grade water. That's what you're paying for, not the molecule.
71 posts
Plus one. Some research chem vials have tested at 60-80% of label claim. Others at 100%+. You don't know which one you got without independently testing it. If you're going to switch, budget for independent potency testing (Janoshik or similar) or accept the variance as part of the cost savings.
46 posts
Counter: some compounding pharmacies have had their own potency scandals. Compounded isn't automatically clean either. The variance exists in both channels, just at different rates.