January 12, 2026: New York Department of State warned consumers after citing 87 of 223 inspected med spas
Major Stories
The New York Department of State found potential violations in almost 40% of the 223 med spas inspected in the state. FDA inspectors cited a Texas med spa for violating the DSCSA.
The New York Department of State is warning consumers about the dangers of unlicensed med spas after a statewide investigation that included 223 inspections, with 87 businesses cited for possible violations of state law. Investigators found expired and suspected counterfeit drugs, controlled substances, unsanitary conditions, used needles, and unlicensed individuals performing medical procedures. State officials are urging consumers to ensure their med spa and provider are appropriately licensed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its first known Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) Form 483 to a dispenser after an inspector found a mismatch between the volume of Botox purchased from authorized trading partners and the amount of Botox administered to patients at a Texas med spa. “This discrepancy,” he wrote, “strongly suggests that your firm is obtaining product from unauthorized sources and claiming that that product is Botox.” The action signals that dispensers, including med spas, are subject to active DSCSA enforcement and must comply with core requirements now, as the FDA is using data from purchase records, treatment logs, and physical evidence to identify violations.
Read more about the dangerous practices we’ve seen at med spas across the country in our handout here.
Domestic News
The FDA posted recalls of two supplements made with undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients. Patient groups asked courts to stop alternative funding programs from illegally importing prescription drugs. Legislatures in four states introduced bills to launch state importation programs or to increase regulation of compounders, medical spas, and pill presses.
Patient advocacy groups urged a federal appeals court to halt third-party alternative funding programs that import prescription drugs from overseas for U.S. patients, citing safety risks and illegal supply chains highlighted in a CNBC investigation and a lawsuit filed by Gilead Sciences.
Three men were arrested in Queens after authorities uncovered an illegal pill manufacturing operation. Investigators seized multiple pill press machines, large quantities of fentanyl, and oxycodone pills.
Photo: DEA
Regulators protecting patients in the news
Photos of recalled Silitan Capsules and supplements from Modern Warrior.
The FDA posted recalls for two companies after their supplements were found to contain undeclared ingredients. The first saw Silintan capsules that were found to be tainted with meloxicam, and the second were supplements from Modern Warrior containing tianeptine, 1,4-DMAA, and aniracetam.
The agency also issued warning letters to a variety of drug and supplement makers, among them
- Two websites that were selling selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), one based in California and one based in Wyoming. The FDA specified in both warning letters that the products had labels that specified they were a “research compound” and “not for human consumption,”
- A Wisconsin manufacturing facility which sold a lot that failed a total aerobic microbial count specification with a “too numerous to count” result, and never investigated, and
- A New Mexico manufacturing facility, which the FDA says failed to adequately test API contents of the homeopathic drugs they were producing for dangerous ingredients.
Legislation
Indiana SB 282 would strengthen oversight of drug compounding, require recordkeeping for compounded drugs, and direct a state report on compounding risks. Starting in 2027, it would also require medical spas to register with the Indiana Board of Pharmacy, designate an on-site responsible person, report serious adverse events, and be subject to discipline, with a public registry created.
Florida S1728/H1429, the Medical Spa Prescription Drug Oversight Act, requires medical spas to be licensed by the Board of Pharmacy and listed in a public database. It regulates how spas obtain, store, and secure prescription drugs, mandates inspections and adverse event reporting, and allows enforcement actions for violations.
Mississippi HB 13 would authorize the state to import prescription drugs under a state program aimed at ensuring safety while lowering drug costs.
New York A04604/S00371 would create a wholesale prescription drug importation program to reduce consumer costs, while excluding controlled substances, biologics, and other drugs deemed a public health risk.
New York S5443 would make it a crime to possess or sell pill presses and similar equipment intended for manufacturing counterfeit or imitation drugs, targeting tools used to reproduce drug trademarks or labeling.
Keep up with state legislation in the areas of pill presses, prescription drug affordability boards, and drug importation, and med spas.
International News
Counterfeit medications were seized in Canada and Pakistan, and a journalistic investigation revealed a suspect behind the largest bust of illegal weight loss drugs.
Health Canada has seized counterfeit Cialis and Viagra tablets distributed in parts of Southern Ontario, warning consumers to stop using the unauthorized products immediately.
An investigation by The Guardian found evidence linking the Northampton GLP-1 “super lab” to a local crypto entrepreneur, Fasial Tariq, through a web of companies and online businesses. According to The Guardian, no arrests have been made in what was described as the world’s largest bust of illegal weight-loss drugs.
Photos: Health Canada
Pakistan’s drug regulator has banned the sale and use of three medicines after confirming specific batches were counterfeit, citing illegal manufacturing by unlicensed operators and warning that the fake products pose serious risks to patient safety.