Ohio Med Spa Fined $25,000 Following Prescription Drug Violations Investigation
An Ohio medical spa has agreed to pay $25,000 in fines and implement corrective measures after a state investigation found multiple violations involving the ordering and use of prescription drugs, according to reporting by 10 Investigates.
According to the report, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy investigated Pure Health Aesthetics & Wellness, a Delaware County medical spa whose owners allegedly used prescriber numbers belonging to nurses on staff to order peptides and other drugs over an approximately eight-month period. Investigators found that some of the products obtained were legal while others were not FDA approved. The report also alleges that a patient lost consciousness after taking some of the drugs. Investigators said the products were later refunded and used by the owners themselves. The board determined that the conduct violated pharmacy regulations and may have violated state law.
As a result of the investigation, the pharmacy board suspended the practice’s Terminal Distributor of Dangerous Drugs (TDDD) license in June. The license was reinstated two months later after the owners entered into an agreement with the board. Under that agreement, the owners admitted to the violations identified by the board, agreed to pay $25,000 in fines and agreed to additional training related to drug management and compliance.
The report notes that the Ohio Board of Pharmacy has suspended more than 30 medical spa TDDD licenses since January 2025 for violations of state pharmacy regulations. Board officials told 10 Investigates that compliance issues involving drug sourcing, recordkeeping and the purchase of unapproved products have become recurring concerns within the industry.
Alex Thiersch, founder and CEO of the American Med Spa Association (AmSpa), told 10 Investigates that incidents like this damage the reputation of an industry largely composed of responsible medical professionals.
“We’re all collectively cringing every time we see these stories because it has such a poor reflection on what the industry truly is,” Thiersch said.
Thiersch attributed some of the industry’s compliance challenges to its rapid growth, noting that some operators move too quickly without fully understanding the legal, medical and regulatory consequences of their actions.
“There is an underbelly to it where there’s folks that are doing things recklessly, fast without thinking about what they’re doing and not necessarily understanding what the consequences might be,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of education, training and physician oversight in aesthetic medicine.
“The gaps are truly in education, making sure that the folks who are doing the treatments know that they are performing medical treatments and they need the proper training and the proper supervision just as they were if they were working in a hospital or anywhere else,” Thiersch said.
The investigation comes as regulators in Ohio continue to increase oversight of medical spas. According to the report, a new pharmacy board rule scheduled to take effect in February will require medical directors to conduct documented quarterly inspections of facilities where they serve as the responsible person, a measure intended to reduce the risk of absentee oversight and improve patient safety.
Thiersch noted that medical spas are medical practices first and should be held to the same standards of patient care, compliance and professional accountability as any other health care setting. He also encouraged consumers to ask questions about provider qualifications, supervision and treatment protocols before undergoing care.
