Basics of compounding: considerations for implementing United States pharmacopeia chapter 797 pharmaceutical compounding-sterile preparations, part 12.

It is crucial that proper methods be employed to successfully adhere to the requirements, practices, and procedures critical to maintaining sterility, accuracy, and purity of a finished compounded sterile preparation. Various methods of sterilization can be used, depending upon a solution's characteristics. Although other methods can be used, the three primary methods of sterilization for compounding pharmacists are: (1)filtration, (2)moist heat, and (3)dry heat, all of which are discussed in this article. Each method requires equipment choices (e.g., filters, autoclave, dry oven), and this article briefly discusses some of the criteria that should be considered when selecting the proper equipment for the selected method.