Missouri mother says new rule on mail-order medicine does not do enough
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - When temperatures reach dangerous lows, one thing to look out for is prescription medications.
Whether the temperature is freezing cold or boiling hot, extreme temperatures can change the chemical makeup of your medications. This becomes a problem when using mail-order pharmacies, if your medicine is not properly packaged. The Missouri Board of Pharmacy recently implemented a new rule requiring pharmacies in the state to protectively package medicine in extreme temperatures.
The new rule says pharmacies must use proper packing that protects the potency of medications. The Missouri Board of Pharmacy did not respond to our inquiries.
If you receive a package from a pharmacy that is not properly protected from the elements, you can report unsafe shipping conditions to the Missouri Board of Pharmacy. information should be available on the package sent to you, or you can file a complaint online.
Lorette Boesing played a big part in getting this new rule on the books.
“We thought that they wouldn’t fail as regulators, they wouldn’t fail us, that they would at least alarm us of the risk, and come to find out that that’s not being done,” Boesing said.
In 2012, Boesing experienced the scariest day of her life. Her two-year-old son recently had a liver transplant, and was now on medications to help his body accept the new organ. Only, something was wrong with the medicine they received in the mail.
“I felt that the medications, and they were so hot, and I’m thinking, doesn’t feel right, but surely they wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t safe,” Boesing said.
That summer day reached 102 degrees, and her son’s medicine was left in the mailbox in only a bag. The medicine was no longer effective and her son’s body started to reject the liver.
“The life that we just got done fighting for in the hospital, my son’s life was at risk again,” Boesing said.
Her son was fine once he received new medicine, but that’s when Boesing started fighting for change. She formed the group United for Safe Medications. Over a decade later, her calls for change were heard by the Missouri Board of Pharmacy -- and a new rule.
Boesing said she’s turning her attention to national regulations, hoping the FDA can put stricter regulations in place with more consequence.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
