FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky lawmaker has filed a new bill that would strengthen oversight of compounded drugs, including weight loss medication.
House Bill 729, Jimmie's Law, was filed on Wednesday. It is named after Jimmie Wilson, a Kentucky woman who says she experienced acute liver failure after taking a compounded weight loss medication.
"I wanted to lose a little extra weight, as we all do when you get to a certain age in life," Wilson said. "But within four weeks of the shot, that's when my liver enzymes had put me in liver failure."
Wilson said her doctor called and told her to go to the emergency room after just four weeks of taking a compounded weight loss medication.
"My doctor calls and says go to the ER, your numbers - something's not right," Wilson added. "It happened so quickly, I really didn't have time to be scared - didn't have time to process it. After I did all the testing, they moved me up to number one on the transplant list because I was within seven days of dying."
The pharmaceutical market has seen a significant surge in weight loss drugs, commonly known as GLP-1s. These drugs are sometimes compounded — meaning they are custom mixed — which can make them cheaper and more accessible. However, they are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Rep. Vanessa Grossl said Jimmie's Law will strengthen prescription drug safety and drug compounding oversight.
"Legislation that empowers our state Board of Pharmacy to ensure that compounded GLP-1 drugs and other injectables in Kentucky are produced safely and in sanitary environments," Grossl said.
Grossl said her bill would strengthen oversight of prescription drugs, enhance pharmaceutical supply chain integrity, and close regulatory gaps that may place patients at risk. Under the bill, Kentucky businesses involved in compounding drugs, including weight loss drugs, would need to be licensed and inspected.
Grossl said these efforts are not intended to prevent access to weight loss medication, but to keep patients safe.
"This legislation is not about preventing anyone from accessing GLP-1 drugs. It's about ensuring that patients are safe and they're able to access those (drugs) in ways that compromise their wellbeing," Grossl said. "I want them to trust that their source of getting their drugs is going to be safe for them and they're not going putting their life on the line every time they refill their prescription."
Chris Harlow, the executive director of the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy, expressed support for the bill. He explained that the goal is to ensure compounded drugs have correct, properly sourced ingredients and are made in proper environments.
"It's protecting patients," Harlow said. "This legislation strengthens Kentucky's ability to ensure that any prescription drug in this Commonwealth meets established safety, quality and sourcing standards. It will modernize our statutes to close regulatory gaps and align state enforcement with existing federal law."
