Chester County pharmacy fined $1M, put on probation for operation involving weight-loss drugs

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (WPVI) -- A Chester County pharmacy has been fined $1 million and placed on probation after state regulators said it compounded and packaged tens of thousands of doses of injectable weight-loss drugs in uninspected facilities.

Boothwyn Pharmacy works out of two buildings on Gale Lane in Kennett Square. A state-led investigation found the pharmacy compounded GLP-1 meds five days a week in one building, then sent them to the other building for inspection. That second building is not an authorized inspection facility. Compounding is where a licensed pharmacy alters a drug to meet the needs of a patient.

"The whole process of compounding a drug has to be done in the same facility that is licensed and inspected and considered safe," said Rob Frankil, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists.

The pharmacy has admitted to violating the Pharmacy Act and State Board of Pharmacy regulations as part of a consent agreement. The state says the unprecedented fine underscores its focus on consumer safety.

"Anytime you're injecting a needle into the body under the skin, you can introduce infection; that's the danger," Frankil said.

In a statement, the company said it has "implemented a series of strategic operational enhancements, including strengthened process and key staffing improvements."

They also claim to have successfully passed inspection by the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy and to be certified for safe operation by an independent validation firm. Boothwyn also placed $500,000 of the civil penalty in escrow with the Department.

Their license can be removed from probationary status after paying the remainder of the $1 million civil penalty within a year, obtaining proper inspection approvals from the State Board of Pharmacy for all its facilities, and providing proof that it has obtained Compounding Pharmacy Accreditation from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for its compounding facilities.

The pharmacy said it is not aware of any patient experiencing an adverse effect from medication compounded at its facilities.