There is a clear distinction between compounded hormones and bioidentical hormones.
“Compounded hormones” are hormones which are custom made by a pharmacist based on a doctor’s order. These hormones are not tested and approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
The term “bioidentical hormones” should be correctly used on hormones that are identical in molecular structure to endogenous hormones. Estradiol that is used in MHT is “bioidentical” while most compounded hormones are not “bioidentical”.
Compounded hormones are not regulated and lacks standardization and quality control. There is lack of efficacy studies and labelling which should provide information on benefits and risks. This leads to concerns about safety, possibility of overdosing or under dosing.
There is currently no scientific evidence for prescribing compounded hormones over conventional menopausal hormone therapy.