Setting the record straight on misleading claims by pharmacy board
California’s Board of Pharmacy (BOP) is considering regulation changes that would restrict access to certain alternative treatments that many Lyme patients rely on. Two items on the chopping block are IV glutathione and vitamin B12 shots.
Crystal Frost, a Lyme patient who started the STOP THE BOP movement, highlights inaccurate statements presented on the matter at a recent board meeting. Please note: Public comments to the board are due December 9.
By Crystal Frost
I fact-checked statements made by the California State Board of Pharmacy (BOP) at the Nov 6-7 board meeting, and here’s what I found.
1. Denying using taxpayer money: On 11/7 President Oh claimed The Board of Pharmacy (BOP) is entirely a self-funded agency.
Fact-checked: Mostly False
The CA BOP keeps funds from things like citations, incentivizing excessive enforcement. Yet taxpayers fund them in other ways, including through Dept. of Consumer Affairs (DCA) which oversees the BOP, represents them in lawsuits, and assists enforcement efforts.
On Nov 7, a DCA attorney—paid with your tax dollars—gave a misleading presentation on federal law in attempts to justify the crackdown on compounding. Also, in 2024, the Legislature approved a $2.49 million budget increase during a deficit year to boost compounding enforcement efforts—an initiative taxpayers ultimately help facilitate.
2. Denying the consequences of their own actions: “This doesn’t restrict access.”
Fact-Checked: False
Not only do the proposed regulations restrict access, but the BOP has already restricted access through underground regulations, enforcing these rules before they exist. Patients are already unable to get custom dosing of Category 1 sterile compounds in California. It is only because of our relentless efforts and the efforts of other parties in this coalition that the BOP changed the language to allow for an exception.
Unfortunately the exception requires excessive and redundant additional testing that would price out the vast majority of patients and deter most pharmacies from producing these substances.
3. BOP’s Executive Officer Anne Sodergren claimed Massachusetts, Kansas, and Kentucky are restricting sterile compounding in a similar way to California.
Fact-Checked: False
We called over a dozen compounding pharmacies and connected with other pharmacy boards across these states. Every pharmacy who had offered sterile compounds from the Category 1 bulks list is still offering them, sharing that there have not been attempts to restrict access. While Kentucky is strict, they defer to FDA guidelines when it comes to Category 1 compounds, preserving patient access.
4. Blaming the FDA: The BOP argued that, since Category 1 substances are not FDA approved, that justifies blocking access in the name of “safety.”
Fact-checked: False
The FDA approval process costs billions, which is why the vast majority of non-patentable natural compounds are not FDA approved. However, the substances on the Category 1 Bulks List have passed FDA safety review and are therefore allowed under their current policy.
Furthermore, in an official statement, FDA stated that “patient care should not be disrupted” while these compounds are under evaluation for efficacy. Thus the CA BOP is superseding the FDA in a major way.
Take Action Today
1. Speak up! Submit your public comments by December 9 to PharmacyRulemaking@dca.ca.gov. Visit stopthebop.com/actnow for instructions and support in this process.
2. Sign and continue to share the petition: petition.stopthebop.com
3. Donate to support this movement and keep it on its feet: stopthebop.com/donate
4. Join the movement at stopthebop.com/join and follow us on Instagram @stop.thebop to stay informed.
Together, we can #StopTheBOP.
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