The Power of Personalized Medicine: Exploring Compounding with Sara Hover, RPh

In this episode of the Root Cause Medicine Podcast , Dr. Carrie Jones sits down with seasoned compounding pharmacist Sara Hover, RPh , to demystify the world of personalized medications. They dig into how compounding pharmacies offer tailored solutions for hormone therapy, acne, hair loss, weight loss, and more—and why this approach can be life-changing for patients who’ve hit dead ends with conventional medicine. Sarah shares eye-opening stories, from hormone creams and sublingual weight loss medications to pediatric popsicles and custom thyroid solutions, showing just how flexible and powerful compounding can be. What You’ll Learn What compounding pharmacies actually do—and why it matters Why the finished compounded meds aren’t FDA-approved (and why that’s okay) How bioidentical hormone therapy transforms women's health Solutions for allergies to common fillers like red dye or peanut oil Fun and effective delivery forms: lozenges, topical creams, even popsicles Hair loss, acne, eczema, and anti-aging compounding options The surprising science behind sublingual GLP-1s for weight loss How to find (or help your doctor become) a compound-friendly provider Sara Hover, RPh is a compounding pharmacist with 30 years of experience and a specialty in hormone replacement therapy. She serves as a lead educator at PCCA, where she trains pharmacists and providers on the latest in compounding innovations. Sarah is passionate about personalized, patient-centered care—and believes no one should be told they're "crazy" when a tailored medication might be the real solution. Order tests through Rupa Health, the BEST place to order functional medicine lab tests from 30+ labs - https://www.rupahealth.com/reference-guide Labs & Tests Mentioned Thyroid labs (TSH, T4, T3) Hormone panels (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) Adrenal function testing Saliva testing (for topical hormone absorption validation) Timestamps 00:00 – Intro to compounding 01:00 – Sarah’s background and spark for pharmacy 03:00 – What compounding offers that retail doesn’t 06:00 – FDA approval vs. compounding safety 09:00 – Why hormone therapy changes lives 11:00 – Creative formulations: creams, popsicles, transdermals 14:00 – Red dye, peanut oil, and other allergy issues 17:00 – Custom thyroid medication and adrenal support 20:00 – Commercial drug variance and its risks 23:00 – Acne, eczema, and aging skin treatments 27:00 – Hair loss solutions and common ingredients 30:00 – Weight loss and sublingual GLP-1s 35:00 – Insurance coverage realities 38:00 – How to find a compound-friendly provider 40:00 – Final message: Women, advocate for your hormones