The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has issued warning letters to multiple medical spas across the state, including those in the Dayton area, for their handling of weight loss medications.
Medical spas, which offer wellness and cosmetic treatments, are under scrutiny after the state accused 14 such spas of misleading customers about the safety of their weight loss drugs. These spas reportedly misrepresented compounded medications as being as safe and effective as FDA-approved options.
The FDA has approved ten GLP-1 medications, such as Wegovy and Ozempic, for managing diabetes. Six of these drugs are also approved for weight management. However, the demand for these medications has recently outpaced the supply from FDA-approved manufacturers. This gap led to the legal allowance for pharmacies to compound these drugs themselves.
Cameron McNamee, a director at the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, explained that this resulted in an influx of compounded versions of these drugs, which are not FDA-approved. Med spas began sourcing the active ingredients, semaglutide and tirzepatide, to compound and administer these treatments.
However, Ohio’s Attorney General’s office claims the med spas were falsely advertising these alternatives as FDA-approved or as safe and effective as the original drugs. These compounded treatments differ from generic medications, which are manufactured under FDA supervision.
In response, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy has revoked the licenses of four med spas, including two in Dayton. The board raised concerns about where the spas were sourcing the drugs and whether they were compounded in sterile conditions. Some spas were allegedly importing bulk chemicals from unverified sources, including China, or using research chemicals not approved for patient use.
The situation has shifted as manufacturers have caught up with the demand. In April, the FDA halted the sale of compounded alternatives to these medications.
McNamee advises patients to consult primary care physicians for prescriptions and be cautious of deeply discounted drugs or unclear sourcing. He emphasized that patients should ask questions to ensure their health is not compromised when seeking weight loss treatments at clinics.
