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by WILL FOLKS
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A member of South Carolina’s Board of Pharmacy – a division of the state’s Labor, Licensing and Regulation (SCLLR) agency – abruptly resigned his post on Friday (September 4, 2025), calling out his colleagues on the board for alleged conflicts which, according to him, have colored their decision making.
Michael Bedenbaugh, chief executive officer of InfusionPlus, announced his departure from the board on his LinkedIn page, recommending his fellow pharmacists become more “politically active” so as to prevent the industry from embracing unethical behavior which endangers the public.
Specifically, Bedenbaugh warned South Carolina’s current regulators are “not looking out for the profession or the patients we serve” but are instead “focused on their personal interests” or the “interest of a small group of their friends and business partners.”
“It is with sadness that I resign from the S.C. Board of Pharmacy today, effective immediately,” Bedenbaugh wrote in his letter (.pdf). “As a second generation pharmacist, I though it would be a personal milestone to serve on the Board of Pharmacy. While I can say it certainly was a learning experience I am saddened by what I learned and I am concerned for the future of both our profession as well as the patients we serve.”
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According to Bedenbaugh, “various stakeholders engaged in regulating the practice routinely prioritize their personal interests and business interests rather than putting patients first.”
“This experience has been most evident in recent discussions related to compounding,” Bedenbaugh continued.
During his tenure on the board, Bedenbaugh led a committee devoted to the issue of compounding – in which patients receive custom medications from raw ingredients when they cannot afford brand name alternatives. For example, those who cannot afford Ozempic – a popular weight loss drug – often purchase compounded alternatives containing its active ingredient, semaglutide.
That committee was tasked, among other things, with addressing safety issues related to compounding.
According to Bedenbaugh, “a subset of stakeholders is unwilling to compromise to ensure that patients in South Carolina receive care that aligns to national standards such as USP and they would rather continue to do things they way they always have.”
USP, for those of you uninitiated, refers to the USP Compounding Compendium, which “offers quality assurance for compounding methods, preparations, and overall practices in different healthcare settings.”
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“A common claim is that such changes would restrict patient access,” Bedenbaugh wrote. “However, we have never been able to substantiate such claims. Additionally, they have argued concerns for how these changes and incremental cost would impact their economic sustainability – a willingness to exchange profits in lieu of patient safety.”
These interests have succeeded in “preventing common sense regulations from moving forward,” Bedenbaugh wrote – which is what he said triggered his decision to resign.
“I cannot support stakeholders business needs or profits in exchange for patient safety,” he wrote.
Bedenbaugh closed his letter by encouraging “all pharmacist(s) practicing in the state of South Carolina (to) become more politically active.” According to him, the current board is “largely comprised of independent retail pharmacist(s) – many who have opaque business relationships with each other.”
“Many of these stakeholders are not looking out for their profession or the patients we serve in my experience,” he concluded.
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we dig deeper into Bedenbaugh’s allegations…
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THE LETTER…
(LinkedIn)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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