Latest news with #OhioBoardofPharmacy
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pharmacy board suspends another Ohio weight loss clinic's license
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 24: In this photo illustration, the injectable weight-loss medication Wegovy is available at New City Halstead Pharmacy on April 24, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. More than 3 million people with Medicare could be eligible for the difficult-to-find and expensive weight-loss drug under new guidance which can cover the medication for patients who are obese or those who have a history of heart disease and are at risk of a heart attack or stroke. (Photo Illustration by) Ohio weight-loss clinics continue to be disciplined over alleged unsafe practices and false claims that they pass regulatory muster. The actions come as demand skyrockets for drugs similar to those that go by the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy notified Slimbolic Weight Loss and Med Spa in Beavercreek that its license to distribute dangerous drugs was summarily suspended. The notice was accompanied by a 29-page document listing scores of alleged violations. They included naming as the person responsible for the clinic a Maine doctor who had never been there, improper recordkeeping, storing adulterated drugs with those that weren't, and improperly labeled drugs. Pharmacy board inspectors said workers at the clinic were also compounding drugs without the proper supervision and that they were doing so in a non-sterile environment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The order said 'there is clear and convincing evidence of a danger of immediate and serious harm to others due to Slimbolic's method used to possess or distribute dangerous drugs, and the method of prescribing dangerous drugs used by a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs who holds a terminal distributor license or practices in the employ of or under contract with a terminal distributor.' A call placed to the clinic was not returned. The board of pharmacy has been cracking down on weight-loss clinics as the clamor for GLP-1 drugs has risen. They facilitate weight loss by slowing gastric emptying. The resultant weight loss can ease impacts of obesity, including diabetes and heart disease. But the pharmacy board has reported numerous abuses by Ohio spas and weight-loss clinics over the past year. In January, the board suspended licenses to distribute dangerous drugs held by clinics in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. It accused them of giving patients weight-loss drugs that were labeled 'for research use only' and that came from 'an unlicensed out-of-state-seller.' In March, it suspended the license of Rejuv and Renew Wellness Spa, which has clinics in Maineville and Franklin, both in Warren County between Cincinnati and Dayton. The board said the spa was injecting patients with 'counterfeit' Botox that the operator said she'd gotten from a California dentist she wouldn't identify. In a related matter, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently warned 14 spas 'to stop making false or misleading claims about their versions of popular weight-loss drugs.' 'People deserve clear and accurate information about the medications they're putting in their bodies,' Yost said in a written statement. 'We're reminding businesses that being truthful isn't just a good business practice — it's the law.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Another Ohio beauty spa loses license over bootleg drug allegations
Stock photo from Getty Images. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy on Tuesday suspended the license of a beauty spa after determining that it was giving patients dangerous drugs that lacked the proper approvals. In this case, the spa was injecting patients with 'counterfeit' Botox that the operator said she'd gotten from a California dentist she wouldn't identify. The board said the business also was distributing other drugs suspected to be counterfeit, including some obtained in 'cash purchases' off of Facebook. This is at least the third time this year that the board has seized the license of a company operating beauty spas on charges of using fake drugs on their patients. In January, it suspended the licenses of two companies operating clinics in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and Cincinnati on charges that they were fobbing off unapproved weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1s on their patients. The instances raised concerns that many so-called 'wellness' clinics were putting profits over patient safety. The board on Tuesday summarily suspended the license of Rejuv and Renew Wellness Spa to distribute dangerous drugs. The business operates locations in Mainville and Franklin, both in Warren County between Cincinnati and Dayton. The order suspending the license says that Board of Pharmacy inspectors visited the spa's Mainville location on March 14. They found Botox, an injection used to reduce wrinkles and facial lines; Liporase, an enzyme used to undo some skin procedures, and Xeomin, a drug similar to Botox. The Botox vial lacked a National Drug Code and a manufacturer's hologram, while the Liporase vials 'had characters of an unknown language on the label,' the inspection report said. Three days later, on March 17, drug distributor AbbVie confirmed that the Botox inspectors found was counterfeit, the inspection report said. Inspectors said they also confirmed that the Liporase found at the spa had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A call to the spa wasn't returned on Wednesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX But Patty Cantrell, a registered nurse who co-owns the spa, said she'd gotten the drug from a dentist in the Bay Area of California, the report said. 'RN Cantrell was not willing to share the name of the dentist or the specific location from which she ordered/he shipped from,' the report said. 'She said she knew him from high school and considered him a friend.' Cantrell later told inspectors that she had been getting Botox through Allergan, an AbbVie company. But then late last year, she started getting it from the California dentist for about half the price, the report said. Cantrell also said that she had purchased the Liporase off of Facebook for cash, and that she didn't have documentation for the purchases. Then she seemed to allow that only some of the drugs her business was giving patients would pass muster with the pharmacy board. 'She asked that 'if' the Xeomin was found to be real, could she get the money back,' the report said. 'She stated the product taken was worth $1,000.00 and she did not want to lose the money. She was able to produce invoices for the Xeomin.' The report alleged numerous other violations. They included distributing dangerous drugs at the Franklin spa even though it wasn't registered with the Board of Pharmacy, improper storage and record keeping, and having expired and adulterated drugs. In ordering the spa to surrender its license, the pharmacy board cited dozens of potential violations of the law and board rules, each of which carry possible fines and criminal penalties. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ohio falls below 2,000 pharmacies for first time in more than a decade
Feb. 19—Nearly 200 pharmacies closed in Ohio last year, leading state agencies to launch a new dashboard to track pharmacy closures, openings and availability. "Having a pharmacy nearby is critical to the health and safety of Ohioans, especially those who depend on prescription medications every day," said Ohio Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Steven Schierholt. The Ohio Pharmacy Access dashboard utilizes Board of Pharmacy licensing data to provide users with a visualization of where pharmacy openings and closures are occurring. "As the pharmacy market evolves in Ohio, it is imperative that we have a tool to help policymakers and local community leaders alike stay up to speed and even get ahead of emerging trends," Schierholt said. The dashboard offers insights into where closures are impacting access to pharmacy services in Ohio, including highlighting pharmacy deserts, or areas where residents have to travel to access their medications. "This new dashboard is a convenient tool that aims to provide insights into where gaps may exist, with the ultimate goal of improving access to pharmacies to as many Ohioans as possible," Schierholt said. Last year, 191 pharmacies closed in Ohio. All of them were large chain locations, according to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. As a result of those closures, the total number of pharmacies in Ohio decreased by 7%, from 2,009 to 1,869, in 2024. It is the first time the state has had fewer than 2,000 pharmacies in more than a decade, the pharmacy board said. In Montgomery County, 13 pharmacies closed in 2024, the highest number of pharmacy closings in the county in more than a decade, according to the state's new dashboard. In other recent years, Montgomery County had two closings in 2023 and six in 2022. Pharmacy closings, according to the Ohio Pharmacy Board County/Region 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Butler 2 1 3 2 0 Clark 2 0 0 0 5 Greene 0 0 3 0 0 Montgomery 2 1 6 2 13 The 9-county Dayton region 9 3 12 7 18 All of Ohio 41 56 63 55 191 Pharmacy openings, according to the Ohio Pharmacy Board County/Region 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Butler 1 2 1 2 1 Clark 1 0 0 0 0 Greene 0 0 0 1 0 Montgomery 0 3 0 1 2 The 9-county Dayton region 3 6 2 6 4 All of Ohio 37 42 37 50 51 The state recorded two new pharmacy openings in Montgomery County in 2024, and another is coming this year, with Ziks Family Pharmacy opening its third location at Homefull, 807 S. Gettysburg Ave., Dayton. The numerous closings of retail pharmacy locations brought more customers to Ziks, particularly with the chain pharmacies working to transfer prescriptions directly to Ziks. "With the closings of the pharmacies, we've actually been inundated by patients looking for a pharmacy home," Jackie Nappier, marketing director at Ziks Pharmacy, said during Homefull's recent grand opening of its Gettysburg Grocery. Ziks was able to take on their new customers with little disruption to people's care when CVS and Walgreens partnered with them to transfer west Dayton community members' prescriptions to them. "When Walgreens closed on Hoover Avenue, we were able to absorb most of those patients," Nappier said. The new dashboard — available at — allows users to view data on pharmacy access around the state. The dashboard will be updated monthly. It was created through a partnership between the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, the InnovateOhio Platform, and the Ohio Department of Health. Pharmacies in operation, according to the Ohio Pharmacy Board County/Region 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Butler 54 55 53 53 54 Clark 25 25 25 25 20 Greene 28 28 25 26 26 Montgomery 98 100 94 93 82 The 9-county Dayton region 273 276 266 265 251 All of Ohio 2,054 2,040 2,014 2,009 1,869
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
An alarming trend: Ohio pharmacy closures spike, openings lag
(Stock photo) Ohio's pharmacy closures have spiked in recent years, and the stores have been closing in the communities that can least afford to lose them, according to a new data tool released by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The result, predictably, has been fewer pharmacies overall in Ohio despite a moderately growing population. The alarming numbers again raise questions about whether pharmacies can continue to be viable in many Ohio communities. Their loss is a public health concern not only because it makes it more difficult for people to get their medicine. Pharmacies also administer vaccines and provide other services. And for the medically underserved, the neighborhood pharmacy often represents the rare chance to talk to a medical professional about conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. In Ohio, the number of openings of retail outpatient pharmacies peaked in 2015 at 110. But then something must have happened over the next 12 months. In 2016 there was a record number of closings, 120. Meanwhile, openings plummeted to 45 and stayed low for the following eight years, according to the board of pharmacy, which licenses and regulates them. Then something even more concerning happened. In 2023, the number of closures was a relatively low 55. But over the next year it shot up to 191, an increase of 247%. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE There were ample headlines announcing many of the closures. Bankrupt Rite Aid closed hundreds of stores both in Ohio and Michigan. Walgreens began a process of closing thousands of stores nationwide. And CVS last year finished up a process of closing 900 of its pharmacies. As a consequence of anemic openings and spiking closures, the number of outpatient retail pharmacies in Ohio has fallen from 2,219 in 2015 to 1,869 last year, according to the Board of Pharmacy data. That's a 16% drop over a period during which the state's population grew by about 2.5%, so there are fewer pharmacies serving more people. The closures last year prompted Dave Burke, a pharmacist, former state senator, and now executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association, to voice concerns that the business of pharmacy was on a precipice that could have disastrous consequences for Ohio. The closures are already having the heaviest impact on those who stand to be most hurt by them. As part of its new dashboard, the Board of Pharmacy looked at where closures were happening compared to where the most vulnerable Ohioans live. To do that, its staff used mapping data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index. It looks at 16 pieces of information gathered by the Census Bureau such as income, employment status, educational attainment, minority status, whether one has health insurance, the availability of transportation and whether members of the household are children or seniors. Those with the most challenges are ranked high on the index, the next are ranked medium-high, then medium-low and low. When the Board of Pharmacy overlaid closures since 2012 on the CDC vulnerability map, it became clear that pharmacies were abandoning vulnerable neighborhoods at a much higher rate. Nearly 60% of the closures occurred in high and medium-high vulnerability neighborhoods. The impact of closures on those neighborhoods might be greater still, since it seems likely they had fewer pharmacies to start with. Ohio's independent and small-chain pharmacists have long accused pharmacy middlemen that are part of huge health conglomerates of driving them out of business. Combined, the three biggest middlemen control access to 80% of the insured patients. Pharmacies say that leaves them with no negotiating leverage, so they're forced to sign contracts in which the middlemen use a non-transparent system to reimburse them for the drugs they buy and dispense. The middlemen, or pharmacy benefit managers, also impose fees and other charges that cut into already limited profits, pharmacists say. In an interim report last year, the Federal Trade Commission said the pharmacists had a point. It said the practices of the middlemen appeared to be raising prices and making patients sicker. But Antonio Ciaccia, a Columbus-based drug-pricing expert, said the woes of Ohio pharmacies are due to a more complex set of factors than that. He said traditional pharmacies are getting squeezed by a federal program meant to benefit hospitals and health centers that treat the poor, staffing problems, and pessimism about the future. But he said middleman reimbursements are unquestionably an important factor. 'It all goes back to whether you have adequate money coming in the door,' Ciaccia said. In a statement, Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Steven W. Schierholt said his agency developed the dashboard to identify pharmacy needs so policymakers can address them. 'Having a pharmacy nearby is critical to the health and safety of Ohioans, especially those who depend on prescription medications every day,' he said. 'As the pharmacy market evolves in Ohio, it is imperative that we have a tool to help policymakers and local community leaders alike stay up to speed and even get ahead of emerging trends.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two Ohio doctors and their clinics disciplined over weight loss drugs
Stock photo from Getty Images Clinics in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, and Cincinnati have lost their licenses to distribute dangerous drugs after the Ohio Board of Pharmacy said they were giving patients weight-loss drugs that were labeled 'For Research Use Only' and that came from 'an unlicensed out-of-state-seller.' The drugs are in the same class as Ozempic and Wegovy, and as demand for them has soared, so have shortages and concerns that the people most in need can't get them. There are also worries that improperly formulated drugs might be used and that the unscrupulous might be cashing in. The drugs carry an average annual list price of $12,000, according to the Peterson KFF Health Tracker. The medicines, 'glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists,' or 'GLP-1s,' mimic naturally occurring hormones to suppress appetite. They were developed for diabetics, but after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved several to treat diabetes, demand shot up and regulators have struggled to keep up. 'The GLP-1 marketplace is an absolute free-for-all right now,' Antonio Ciaccia, an Ohio-based drug-pricing expert, said last week. Making the free-for-all worrisome is that the drugs can have serious side effects, including dizziness, vomiting, infection, and, in rare cases, pancreatitis, thyroid cancer and kidney injury, the Cleveland Clinic reported. Earlier this month, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy acted against two doctor-run clinics for allegedly dispensing GLP-1 drugs in ways that were outside properly regulated channels. Ae2 Aesthetic Essentials in Willoughby Hills offers weight loss and cosmetic procedures. On Jan. 17, it surrendered its license to distribute dangerous drugs after Dr. Diethra Cox, the person responsible for prescription drugs, told Board of Pharmacy inspectors how the clinic had obtained them. 'Dr. Cox and her staff at the clinic, who were acting under her supervision and direction, were administering and personally furnishing tirzepatide labeled 'For Research Use Only' and semaglutide labeled 'For Research Purpose Only,'' an addendum to the surrender agreement said. 'Note: Research Use Only drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They are drugs specifically designed and labeled for use in scientific research and not for clinical or diagnostic purposes.' Staff at the clinic told inspectors that the drugs didn't come with instructions on how to reconstitute them, and said they didn't know when the drugs would expire. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Cox told inspectors that 'she gets the drugs from a co-op group of physicians,' the report said. 'She communicates via text message to obtain the drug that is sold by Dr. Nanda.' She added that 'she was provided a copy of a 'purity test' as the physicians' reason the drugs were OK to use for patients,' the report said. Cox didn't immediately respond to a message left at the clinic. But she and the clinic agreed to never again apply for a license to distribute dangerous drugs, and further discipline remains pending. The board also suspended the license of Jiva Med Spa, which has locations in Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. Ae2 had provided inspectors with records of 14 transactions in which the Willoughby Hills clinic bought $38,000 worth of weight-loss drugs from Jiva Med Spa. The responsible person there, Dr. Rakesh A. Nanda, said he 'purchased the research-use-only drugs from an out-of-state unlicensed seller,' the summary suspension order said. A phone message left at Jiva Med Spa wasn't immediately returned Monday. As described in the suspension order, what Nanda told Board of Pharmacy inspectors seems contradictory. He told inspectors he didn't distribute any research-use-only drugs to other clinics, but he said he made presentations about them at professional conferences. Nanda said, 'He does help other clinics obtain the drugs from the unlicensed seller by either providing the seller's information, or by making the purchase himself on the buying clinic's behalf. He explained he has collected payment from other clinics and in turn paid the unlicensed seller. Dr. Nanda stated he is awarded a reduced purchasing price from the unlicensed seller for aiding their business.' The order said Nanda claimed it was OK for him to use the research-only drugs because he was actually doing his own research, and he got patients to sign consent forms. The Board of Pharmacy order didn't say whether Nanda's work was overseen by an institutional review board as the FDA requires for research that could harm human subjects. It also didn't say whether Nanda provided inspectors with documentation of the methodology for his research or any data gathered. It's unclear what the state regulator that oversees medical licensing might be doing in the cases of Nanda and Cox. 'We are aware of the actions taken by the Board of Pharmacy against Dr. Cox and Dr. Nanda,' Jerica Stewart, chief of communications for the State Medical Board of Ohio, said in an email. 'Under Ohio law, the board is prohibited from disclosing information about complaints and investigative materials due to confidentiality.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
