February 2024 Electronic Mailbags
February 1, 2024
February 8, 2024
- DEA Announces Second Annual Supply Chain Conference April 30 – May 2, 2024
- Submissions for 2024-2025 Committees and Task Forces
February 29, 2024
FDA Announces Compounding Quality Center of Excellence Instructor-Led Trainings
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Compounding Quality Center of Excellence has announced that it is offering instructor-led trainings, in-person or virtually, to outsourcing facilities with limited space for pharmacy compounders and regulators. These multi-day trainings provide continuing education (CE) credits for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Early registration is recommended.
These trainings are recommended for:
- Pharmacy technicians
- Microbiologists
- Laboratory personnel
- Quality personnel, including Quality Control and Quality Assurance
- Facility and Engineering personnel
- Operations, Production and Manufacturing personnel
- Management
- Senior leadership
The following courses are offered:
| Course | 2024 Dates | Format | CE Credits |
| Quality Management Systems | March 11-14 June 24-27 | Virtual | 15 Hours |
| Process Validation | April 8-11 July 8-11 | Virtual | 15 Hours |
| Sterile Drug Compounding | April 23-25 August 6-8 | In-person | 18 Hours |
| Environmental Monitoring | May 7-9 | In-person | 18 Hours |
| Investigations and Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) | May 20-23 September 23-26 | Virtual | 16.5 Hours |
| Cleanroom | June 4-6 | In-person | 18 Hours |
Registration may be requested by clicking the course links provided on the FDA website: Compounding Quality Center of Excellence | Instructor-Led Trainings | FDA
DEA Announces Second Annual Supply Chain Conference April 30 – May 2, 2024
US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced that it will hold its second annual Supply Chain Conference from April 30 through May 2, 2024, in Little Rock, AR.
Purpose
The conference provides a venue in which representatives from the supply chain industry, their affiliated associations, and DEA can engage in discussions concerning existing federal regulations, issues requiring regulatory changes, clarification of DEA policy, and the development of initiatives to reduce diversion of pharmaceutical controlled substances while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply.
Who
DEA-registered manufacturers, distributors, pharmacists, importers, and exporters.
When
April 30 – May 2, 2024
Where
Little Rock, AR (A virtual component will be offered for those who are unable to attend in person.)
Topics
DEA is soliciting relevant topics of discussion from registrants. Please email your suggestions to ODLL@dea.gov no later than Friday, February 16.
Breakout Sessions
Registrants interested in participating in a breakout session to discuss quota or import/export issues with DEA staff are requested to submit a request to ODLL@dea.gov no later than Friday, April 5.
Please note: There is no fee to attend this conference. To ensure in-person participation is available to all interested registrants, DEA is requesting that no more than three persons per DEA registration number plan to attend in person. Additional participants are welcome to attend virtually. Participants not registering in advance will not be permitted to attend the conference. In the past, there was confusion as to whether private practice attorneys or consulting firms may or may not attend DEA-sponsored conferences for industry. If these individuals or firms represent registrants or their affiliated associations on an “as-needed basis,” DEA does not view them as employees of a registrant or an association, but as paid consultants. As such, they are not eligible to attend these types of conferences.
More information will be forthcoming as details are finalized.
Submissions for 2024-2025 Committees and Task Forces
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is seeking volunteers from its active member boards of pharmacy to serve on the 2024-2025 committees and task forces. Executive officers and board members, including public members, interested in serving on a committee or task force are encouraged to submit a letter of interest and a current résumé or curriculum vitae. In addition, NABP encourages affiliated members from associate member boards and interested board of pharmacy staff to volunteer for NABP task forces. Submissions should outline volunteers’ applicable experiences and accomplishments, along with the reasons they wish to be considered for appointment to a committee or task force.
| Task Force or Standing Committee | Eligible to Serve |
| Single-Issue Task Force or Work Group | Current or past board members and staff from active and associate member boards |
| Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation | Current board members and executive officers of active member boards |
| Committee on Constitution and Bylaws | Current board members and executive officers of active member boards |
| Advisory Committee on Examinations (ACE)1 | Current board members and executive officers of active member boards or those who have served within the last five years as a board member or executive officer of an active member board |
All submissions must be sent to NABP Executive Director/Secretary Lemrey “Al” Carter, PharmD, MS, RPh, at ExecOffice@nabp.pharmacy or via the NABP website, by Friday, May 17, 2024. All materials will be forwarded to NABP President-elect Jeffrey J. Mesaros, PharmD, JD, RPh, who will make the appointments when he becomes NABP President following the Association’s 120th Annual Meeting, May 14-17, 2024.
State Newsletter Program Updates
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foundation (NABPF) is pleased to announce that several enhancements will be made to the State Newsletter Program. Specifically, beginning in July 2024, NABPF will be rolling out a new menu of services, including three state newsletter service packages from which the boards may choose. The new menu of services will provide flexibility to state board participants and streamline production processes while still providing reader-friendly and accessible newsletters with timely content.
The newly created packages have been developed so that boards can choose an option that best fits their needs for newsletter design, editorial, content, and delivery options.
- Email Newsletter Package ($225 per newsletter) – This option is ideal for boards seeking to reduce production time and send a more concise, email-only newsletter. The emails produced through this package will include short, high-level summaries linking to the original source (for example, state codes, board web pages, federal or state agency news, etc), thus reducing the amount of board staff time needed to compose original content.
- Digital Newsletter (PDF) Package (current offering; $275 per newsletter) – The current state newsletter package, which includes a traditionally designed newsletter layout that is then proofread and posted as a pdf along with an optional email alert, will still be available as one of the package options at a small price increase.
- Collaborative Content Package ($375 per newsletter plus any additional add-ons) – Boards that prefer more detailed articles and desire assistance in developing such content may be interested in our highest-level offering. This package allows the board to choose whether they want to use the pdf or email format and receive National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) staff assistance on content conception, copyediting, and/or drafting.
Since 2018, the newsletter has appeared in the same format with the same price. Based on feedback from participants, NABP began reviewing the program offerings and where changes could be made to meet evolving needs. Additionally, NABP evaluated the pricing of the current offering and determined that a small increase in pricing was needed to help offset production costs.
In addition to the new packages, NABP Communications staff will offer onboarding and training opportunities. This includes a webinar to review the details of the new packages and a State Newsletter Program Participant Guide that covers information such as suggested content, word count suggestions, example articles, and more. If you have any questions, please contact the Communications department via email at commdept@nabp.pharmacy. We thank you for your valued participation in the State Newsletter Program.
Attachment: NABP State Newsletter Program Menu of Services
NABP Joins NAM Change Maker Campaign
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is proud to join National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and over 270 other organizations in the NAM Change Maker Campaign. Along with the other Change Makers, we will aim to strengthen the health workforce well-being as nurses, physicians, pharmacy staff, and public health employees continue to leave their professions.
We will work with other participants to meet the goal of institutionalizing well-being as a long-term value. With other Change Makers, we will facilitate information sharing across the health care industry by collaborating on initiatives, documenting their impact, and amplifying effective solutions to shared challenges.
Actively participating in the campaign will help to further the commitment NABP President Lenora S. Newsome, PD, has demonstrated to promote well-being and mental health for pharmacy staff. To further Newsome’s initiative, we have compiled tools, resources, and information to help address well-being and support pharmacists and pharmacy.
We invite you to learn more about the Change Maker Campaign by visiting the NAM website and sharing the information with any organizations who may be interested in becoming a Change Maker.