Misinterpretations of United States pharmacopeia chapter <797>.

By now, all compounding pharmacists should be aware that United States Pharmacopeia Chapter <797> has been revised. However, the revisions are tedious to read and may be misinterpreted. This article discusses some of the misinterpreted revisions of United States Pharmacopeia Chapter <797> and clarifies the revisions on the topics of Terminology, The Compounder, Facilities and Environment, Personnel Cleansing and Garbing, Assigning Beyond-use Dates, and Testing. Compounders need to take a firm stand with these misinterpretations of United States Pharmacopeia Chapter <797> and educate those who are not thoroughly familiar with the document. Compounders need to be diligent in following these standards to prevent harm to the patients.