How to Find a Compounding Pharmacy in Your Australian City

This guide covers how to find a compounder in each Australian capital and what to ask before you book.

How to find a compounding pharmacy in your city

Three reliable starting points:

1. Search the Pharmacy Finder directory. Browse listings tagged with the compounding service at pharmacies offering compounding. Filter by your state or city for nearby options.
2. Ask your prescriber. GPs, specialists, paediatricians, dermatologists, and vets who regularly write compounded prescriptions have working relationships with compounders. They know which ones meet the standard for the specific preparation you need.
3. Check the Australasian Society of Compounding Pharmacists. The ASCP at ascp.net.au maintains a member directory. Membership is voluntary, so it is not exhaustive, but listed members generally operate dedicated compounding practices.

For all three approaches, confirm the pharmacy is registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia. Registration can be verified at ahpra.gov.au.

What to ask before you go

Not every compounder offers every service. Before you book, confirm the pharmacy can prepare what you need.

Sterile or non-sterile

• Non-sterile compounding covers capsules, creams, gels, liquids, troches, suppositories, and most paediatric and veterinary preparations. Most compounders do this.
• Sterile compounding covers injectables, ophthalmic preparations, and some inhalations. It requires dedicated cleanroom facilities and additional certification. Far fewer compounders are equipped for sterile work. If your prescription requires a sterile preparation, confirm the pharmacy has the facilities and certification before you proceed.

Specialty area

Ask whether the pharmacy regularly prepares:

• Paediatric preparations. Liquid suspensions, allergen-free formulations, and flavoured oral solutions for children. See our guide on paediatric compounding for more detail.
• Veterinary preparations. Transdermal gels, flavoured liquids, and species-specific doses for cats, dogs, exotic pets, horses, and livestock. See our guide on veterinary compounding in Australia.
• Hormone preparations. Compounded bioidentical hormone therapy under the regulatory framework discussed in our guide on compounded bioidentical hormones.
• Dermatology preparations. Custom creams, gels, and ointments for specific skin conditions where commercial products are unsuitable.
• GLP-1 preparations. Restricted under the TGA's October 2024 amendment to Schedule 5, Item 6 of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990; see our guide on compounded GLP-1 medicines.

A pharmacy that specialises in hormone compounding may not regularly do paediatric work, and vice versa. Match the specialty to your need.

Practical questions

• What is the turnaround time for the preparation?
• Do you keep ingredient stock on hand, or do you order on receipt of the prescription?
• Can you post the preparation, or do I need to collect it?
• What is the discard date, and how must I store the preparation?
• Will the cost be quoted before you prepare it?

City	Typical compounder concentration	Regional access note
Sydney	Largest concentration in Australia; coverage across Greater Sydney	Extends to Central Coast and Illawarra
Melbourne	Strong presence; specialty hormone, paediatric, veterinary all represented	Royal Children's Hospital available for paediatric guidance
Brisbane	Concentrated in CBD, Inner Suburbs, Northside	Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast catchments covered
Perth	Smaller but well-established network	Regional WA patients access via postal supply
Adelaide	Concentrated in CBD, Eastern, Northern Suburbs, Adelaide Hills	All major specialties represented
Canberra	Small specialist network for ACT and surrounding NSW	Sydney compounders by post for less common preparations
Hobart	Limited number of compounders	Mainland compounders by post for specialist preparations
Darwin	Most limited; very few local compounders	Most patients access mainland compounders by post

Sydney compounding pharmacies

Sydney has the largest concentration of specialist compounders in Australia, with practices in the CBD, Eastern Suburbs, Northern Beaches, North Shore, Inner West, and Western Sydney. Coverage extends across most postcodes within Greater Sydney and into the Central Coast and Illawarra.

To browse Sydney-area compounders, search the Pharmacy Finder directory at pharmacies in New South Wales and filter by the compounding service, or go directly to pharmacies offering compounding and refine by location.

For sterile compounding in Sydney, the network is smaller. Ask your prescriber which sterile compounder they recommend, or contact the ASCP for guidance.

Melbourne compounding pharmacies

Melbourne has a strong compounding presence in the CBD, the Inner North, the Inner East, Bayside, and the Western Suburbs. Specialist hormone, paediatric, and veterinary compounders operate across the metropolitan area.

Browse Victorian compounders at pharmacies in Victoria and filter by service, or search pharmacies offering compounding for the Melbourne area.

The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne maintains general paediatric pharmacy guidance at rch.org.au; ask your paediatrician for a referral to a community compounder for at-home preparations.

Brisbane compounding pharmacies

Brisbane compounders are concentrated in the CBD, the Inner Suburbs, the Northside, and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast catchments. Most cover non-sterile work; sterile compounding is available at a smaller number of specialist sites.

Search pharmacies in Queensland and filter by the compounding service, or go directly to pharmacies offering compounding.

Perth compounding pharmacies

Perth has a smaller but well-established compounding network covering the CBD, Northern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs, and Fremantle area. Most regional Western Australian patients access compounding through Perth-based pharmacies via postal supply.

Browse pharmacies in Western Australia or search pharmacies offering compounding for Perth-area options.

Adelaide compounding pharmacies

Adelaide compounders are concentrated in the CBD, the Eastern Suburbs, the Northern Suburbs, and the Adelaide Hills. Hormone, paediatric, and veterinary specialties are all represented.

Search pharmacies in South Australia or pharmacies offering compounding.

Canberra compounding pharmacies

Canberra has a small number of specialist compounders, serving the ACT and surrounding NSW areas. Specialty coverage is more limited than the larger capitals; some patients access Sydney-based compounders by post for less common preparations.

Browse pharmacies in the ACT or search pharmacies offering compounding.

Hobart compounding pharmacies

Hobart has a limited number of compounders. For specialist preparations not available locally, Tasmanian patients commonly access mainland compounders by post.

Search pharmacies in Tasmania or pharmacies offering compounding for current options.

Darwin compounding pharmacies

Compounding is the most limited in Darwin and the Northern Territory. Most patients who need compounded preparations access mainland compounders by post. The prescriber will usually guide which compounder to use.

Browse pharmacies in the Northern Territory or search pharmacies offering compounding.

Regional access (telehealth and postal delivery)

If you live in a regional or rural area without a local compounder, two options:

1. Postal supply from a capital-city compounder. Most compounders post preparations to regional patients with a valid prescription. Cold-chain preparations (those requiring refrigeration) need appropriate packaging and overnight delivery. Confirm the postage method, the cost, and the storage requirements before placing the order.
2. Telehealth prescriber, postal supply. Where the prescriber is a telehealth GP or specialist, the prescription can be sent electronically to a compounder in any state. The compounder dispatches the prepared medicine by post or courier. See our guide on eScripts in Australia for the prescription side of this process.

Confirm the compounder is happy to dispense to your address before you place the order. Some compounders limit postal supply to specific states based on the prescription type.

When a compounder is not the right answer

Compounding is not always the right route. There are cases where a commercial product is the appropriate option:

• A registered product exists at the dose and form you need. Registered products are TGA-assessed for safety, quality, and efficacy. They are usually cheaper and may be PBS-subsidised.
• The prescription is for a substance the TGA has restricted under the compounding framework. For example, the October 2024 amendment to Schedule 5, Item 6 of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 1990 affecting certain GLP-1 substances. See our guide on compounded GLP-1 changes for context.
• You have not yet been clinically assessed by a prescriber. Compounding starts with a prescription. If you have not seen a doctor, the first step is a clinical consultation.
• The substance you want compounded is not a substance Australian compounders are permitted to prepare. Pharmacy Board guidelines and TGA determinations set the scope. The compounder will decline if the request is outside that scope.

If you are unsure whether compounding is appropriate, ask your prescriber or speak to a pharmacist before paying for a preparation.