What a COA contains
A complete COA for a compounded peptide preparation typically identifies:
- Product and lot number — the exact batch the results belong to. No lot number, no traceability.
- Testing laboratory — the named lab that performed the analysis, with contact information.
- Test date and beyond-use date (BUD) — when testing happened and how long the preparation is considered usable.
- Identity and potency — confirmation the substance is what the label says, at the labeled strength, usually by HPLC or similar validated methods.
- Sterility — for injectables, testing consistent with USP <71>.
- Bacterial endotoxin — testing consistent with USP <85>, reported against a limit.
- Appearance — visual description of the preparation.
Who issues a COA
The analytical work is done by a laboratory — either the pharmacy's own quality lab or an independent contract lab (see who tests compounded peptides). The COA itself is assembled for a lot by the pharmacy or manufacturer that released it. That distinction matters when you verify: the document you were handed should trace back to a named lab that will confirm it issued those results.
Why COAs matter for compounded peptides
Compounded preparations are made per-batch rather than in continuously validated mass production, so lot-level testing is the main written evidence that a given batch was checked. In a market where counterfeit paperwork is cheap to produce, the COA is only as good as your ability to confirm it — which is why this registry verifies records with the source before displaying them, and why you should verify any COA you are handed.
What a COA is not
A COA is not FDA approval, not proof a treatment is appropriate for you, and not proof the vial in your hand came from the tested lot. Read what a COA can and cannot prove for the full boundary.