May 12, 2022
Members Section of NABP Website Expanded and Improved
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is pleased to announce that, on May 11, the Members section of the NABP website was relaunched to provide more information about the benefits of the Association’s programs and services and how they can provide support to board of pharmacy members and staff. In addition, the section was reorganized so that it is easier to find important resources.
The NABP website provides information to several different audiences, so the content of the Members section has been drafted to focus on how the Association’s programs can be leveraged to support member boards’ needs and relieve administrative burdens for board staff. In-page contact forms provide a quick and easy way to request more information from NABP staff.
The relaunched Members section provides visitors with three clear topic areas to choose from. Not only does this present the information in an organized way, but it allows for even more information to be readily accessible to member boards:
- Programs and Services: Learn how NABP helps its member boards through seamless data exchange, enhanced inspection processes, up-to-date industry information networks, and streamlined licensure services. Some of the programs that can be found in this section include the Compounding Information Sharing Network, NABP Clearinghouse, examination eligibility, and NABP Verify.
- Board Resources: Discover valuable resources, publications, and tools that will help you and your board stay informed and connected. Some of the publications information that can be found in this section include NABPLAW Online, the Model State Pharmacy Act and Model Rules of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Electronic Mailbag, NABP Bulletin, and New Board Member Manual.
- Get Involved: Find rewarding ways to participate in and volunteer for meetings, forums, and initiatives to further our shared goal of protecting public health. You can also find important information about NABP presidential initiatives, Annual Meetings, district meetings, and NABP forums.
We look forward to hearing your feedback regarding the changes to the Members section. Please let us know if there is any other information that would be helpful to you, your members, or staff. Feel free to use the request forms in the Members section of the website or contact Larissa Doucette directly via email at ldoucette@nabp.pharmacy or phone at 847/391-4468.
Healthcare Distribution Alliance Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition Warning on Fraud Incidents
Healthcare Distribution Alliance Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition (PCSC) is updating the warning to the pharmacy industry, issued earlier this year, regarding product ordering/recall fraud incidents, several of which have resulted in losses. To update licensees of current trends, PCSC notes that attempts at fraud are persisting and that law enforcement and corporate security investigations into these incidents continue on multiple levels.
Some details regarding the schemes include:
- The perpetrators continue to convince distribution representatives (both in wholesale and retail environments, as well as over the phone and electronically) that they are making legitimate inquiries about drug shipments.
- The credentials the perpetrators are supplying are real, having obtained them through a variety of social engineering techniques.
- A fair number of retail pharmacies are now receiving telephone calls from individuals identifying themselves as being from a state board of pharmacy or a state health department. In these scenarios, the person calling (who is almost always female) asks the pharmacy representative for specific routine and disarming information, such as address, hours of operation, phone numbers, principal contacts, etc.
- The names used by the female callers to identify themselves include “Julie McNeil,” “Cynthia,” “Beth,” “Beth Walton,” and “Danielle.”
- The caller eventually asks questions about the names of the pharmacy’s primary and secondary wholesalers, the type(s) and cadence of their business interactions with their wholesalers, and, in some instances, account numbers.
- On some calls, the perpetrator uses the excuse that the board of pharmacy needs such information because it is responsible for notifications of recalls.
According to PCSC, this type of probe is an initial form of social engineering that gives the perpetrators what they need to take their inquiries to the next level. If they are unable to get the information they want during the initial call, they will use what they learned to impersonate the pharmacy’s principal distributor (because they now know who it is) in a subsequent call to again try to elicit account numbers and passwords.
If a licensee receives such an inquiry, PCSC suggests the following:
- Do not answer any questions;
- Indicate to the caller that someone will call them back;
- Try to get a name and callback number;
- Hang up; and
- Immediately contact the pharmacy’s known principal contact at the board of pharmacy or health department to report the incident.
In addition, PCSC requests such activity be reported to cforsaith@hda.org so it can be shared with law enforcement.
Live Patient Safety Continuing Education Webinar Hosted by FDA’s Division of Drug Information for Students and Health Care Professionals
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) is pleased to announce that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Division of Drug Information is presenting a series of live continuing education (CE) webinars designed to aid health care professionals and future clinicians to provide better patient care by knowing how to find relevant FDA regulatory information that will improve drug safety. The webinars are presented by FDA staff.
FDA Drug Topics:
Reporting and Public Viewing of Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs)
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Time: 1 PM EDT | 10 AM PDT
Duration: 60 minutes
This webinar will discuss the reporting of ICSRs to FDA and how to access and view the publicly available data in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System. This session also will focus on understanding data issues encountered in ICSRs and providing tips and methods to improve data quality.
After signing up for this webinar, registrants will receive a calendar invitation with details on how to join the online meeting. Instructions on how to claim CE credit and obtain a copy of the presentation slides will be emailed to participants the next business day after the webinar.
Please note that the webinar capacity is 1,500 participants; registration does not guarantee entry. Those who are unable to join the meeting may either view the webinar recording that will be posted online or participate in the home study CE course that will be available in a few weeks.
The FDA CDER is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the health care team.
NABP encourages you to forward this information to your staff and to health care professionals in your state. For more information and to learn about future webinars, please visit www.fda.gov/DDIWebinars.