SAFE Drugs Act of 2026

This bill provides for increased oversight of drug compounding and imposes statutory limits on compounded drugs that are essentially copies of commercially available drugs.

Currently, subject to certain requirements, compounded drugs (i.e., drugs that are mixed or altered to meet patient needs) do not require Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Additional limits apply to the compounding of drugs that are essentially copies of commercially available drug products.

Under the bill, a compounded drug is essentially a copy of a commercially available drug product if (1) the compounded drug contains any active ingredient found in a commercially available drug product, and (2) there is no change made for an individual patient that results in a significant difference between the compounded drug and the commercially available drug. (The FDA’s current definition of the term also addresses dosage strength and route of administration.)

The bill increases the frequency at which a licensed pharmacist or physician may compound a drug that is essentially a copy of a commercially available drug to 20 times per month. Current FDA policy allows four such prescriptions per month.

Summary by the Congressional Research Service.