Ohio's Pharma Regulation Shake-Up: Impact on Telehealth and Compounding Industry

Ohio is implementing new regulations aimed at curtailing the operations of large drug-compounding pharmacies within the state. The new rule will limit the batch sizes to 250 units, affecting the production of weight-loss drugs and potentially impacting telehealth companies like Hims & Hers, which depends on Ohio pharmacies for its services.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy's regulation seeks to ensure that compounding practices are tailored to individual patients rather than allowing mass production mimicking that of traditional manufacturers. The move aligns with national safety standards designed to minimize potential risks, including infectious outbreaks.

Despite support from major pharmaceutical companies Novo and Eli Lilly, the regulation has faced criticism from the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding. The group argues that these limitations could inadvertently increase contamination risks, citing concerns about repeated clean room entries during production.

(With inputs from agencies.)