Board of Pharmacy compounding rules draw criticism as patients, veterinarians and firefighters report access gaps

At a joint Assembly and Senate sunset review hearing on the California State Board of Pharmacy, board officials defended an ongoing revision of compounding rules while dozens of stakeholders — including veterinarians, community compounders, firefighters and patient advocates — said the changes and earlier enforcement actions have narrowed access to certain compounded medications.

Board president Seung Oh told committee members the board—s compounding rulemaking aims to provide "a clear path" for pharmacies to provide medications safely and that the board is not banning substances such as glutathione or methylcobalamin. "A regulatory attempt is and has always been to provide a clear path for the regulated to be able to provide medications safely," Oh said, adding that the board has modified proposed text multiple times in response to public comment.

Stakeholders said the reality on the ground looks different. Grant Miller, director of regulatory affairs for the California Veterinary Medical Association, told the committee that California is unique among states in losing access to veterinary drugs produced only through compounding. "Excessively stringent Board of Pharmacy regulations for compounding…