What’s happening

AB 1990 passed the California State Assembly and advanced to the California State Senate, where lawmakers are now considering legislation that would effectively BAN compounded GLP-1s and impose sweeping new restrictions on licensed pharmacies.

This bill claims to target counterfeit drugs, illicit online sellers, and unlicensed operators, but in practice, AB 1990 targets licensed, compliant pharmacies already subject to the California Board of Pharmacy’s compounding regulations, FDA oversight, and USP standards. It also fails to effectively regulate many of the entities responsible for the advertising practices cited as justification for the bill, including telehealth companies, lead-generation platforms, wellness businesses, and marketing firms that often fall outside the California Board of Pharmacy’s jurisdiction.

In short, AB 1990 targets the wrong actors.

Why this matters to patients

The healthcare system is built for standardized care, not for every real-world need. 

Compounding exists because patients' health needs are not one-size-fits-all.

Patients rely on compounded medications when:

• A drug is in shortage or unavailable
• A child needs a liquid or non-standard dose
• A patient can’t tolerate fillers or dyes in commercial products
• Standard therapies fail, including for menopause, thyroid conditions, dermatology, and other chronic needs

When compounding is restricted, patients are not redirected to safer alternatives. In many cases, there are no alternatives. 

California should not make it harder for patients to obtain medications through licensed, regulated healthcare providers while failing to address many of the entities responsible for the conduct that prompted legislative concern.

What AB 1990 actually does

AB 1990 goes too far. The bill would:

• Restrict patient access to medically necessary therapies
• Impose requirements that conflict with federal law
• Apply manufacturing-style burdens to pharmacies that Congress intentionally excluded from pharmacy compounding
• Impose excessive penalties on small healthcare providers
• Raise costs for patients and state healthcare programs
• Create substantial new requirements related to advertising, disclosures, ingredient sourcing, testing, and documentation without demonstrating that these mandates will improve patient safety
• Effectively ban compounded GLP-1s by imposing requirements for GLP-1 active pharmaceutical ingredients acquisition that are functionally impossible for pharmacies to meet.

California patients need targeted enforcement — not broad restrictions on lawful, patient-specific care. 

We need your help

California patients need legislation that targets bad actors, preserves access to medically necessary compounded therapies, and supports enforcement against illegal drug sales without burdening licensed, regulated pharmacies. Send a letter to your senator telling them to oppose AB 1990.