September 2023 Electronic Mailbags
September 7, 2023
September 8, 2023
September 21, 2023
NABP Examination Program Fee Adjustments
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is notifying the boards of pharmacy and the deans of the schools and colleges of pharmacy of fee adjustments that will be implemented on March 1, 2024, for the following NABP competency assessment programs:
- The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination® (NAPLEX®)
- The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination® (MPJE®)
- The Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee™ (FPGEC®) Certification Program and the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination® (FPGEE®)
NABP regularly reviews its examination programs to determine when adjustments are necessary to cover increases in vendor fees and operational costs. NAPLEX and MPJE examination fees last increased seven years ago in 2016, and the FPGEE and FPGEC fees last increased 10 years ago in 2013.
Effective March 1, 2024, the fees will be adjusted as follows:
- The NAPLEX examination fee will increase by $45 to $520.
- The MPJE examination fee will increase by $20 to $170.
- The FPGEC evaluation fee will increase by $200 to $650.
- The FPGEE examination fee will increase by $100 to $750.
All of the above programs’ examination application fees will not increase and will remain at $100, which is in addition to each examination fee noted above.
If you have any questions, please contact Lemrey “Al” Carter, executive director, or Maureen Garrity, competency assessment director, at CompAssess@nabp.pharmacy or 847/391-4406.
Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination® (MPJE®) Updated Competency Statements
Earlier in April, we informed you that the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) will implement the updated blueprint and competency statements for the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination® (MPJE®) in October 2023. Additional information and a copy of the updated competency statements are now available on the NABP website here.
Consistent with good psychometric standards, since the implementation of the new test blueprint may have a potential impact on the interpretation of MPJE scores, the passing standard was re-evaluated. A standard-setting meeting was held to ensure an accurate rating of MPJE items pursuant to the new test blueprint and to establish a new cut score.
We are happy to report the MPJE passing score is unchanged. The passing score remains 75, even though the MPJE test results are now reported as pass or fail.
If you have any questions, please contact Maureen Garrity, Competency Assessment Director via phone at 847/391-4400 or via email at mgarrity@nabp.pharmacy. Thank you.
Fraud Alert Pertaining to the Distribution of Ozempic, Semaglutide, and Tirzepatide
The following is a recent Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition (PCSC) alert regarding fraudulent activity surrounding the distribution of the pharmaceutical products Ozempic, semaglutide, and tirzepatide that has been occurring within the industry.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) has identified cases where wholesalers (licensed and unlicensed) are offering to sell Ozempic with large discounts (anywhere from WAC -10 to WAC -40). In some instances, the investigation has revealed it to be a “No Delivery Scheme,” where the purchaser would make payment and not receive the product. In other instances, the product offered for sale is diverted from foreign countries or counterfeit. In some of the transactions currently under investigation, it is suspected that the sellers are involved in account takeover, in which they obtain the licensing, management, and location information from licensed wholesalers and pretend to be employees of such companies. This information is easily accessible online.
The sellers offer sufficient information and documentation to give the appearance the transaction is legitimate. The transaction requires full or partial payment upfront via wire transfer, non-disclosure agreements, establishment of purchase accounts, and on occasions, have involved fraudulent transaction statements (old pedigree). In some of the cases, the offer comes from a company that doesn’t distribute temperature-controlled drug products. It is important to verify the legitimacy of the offer and that the company offering the product for sale and distribution actually distributes Ozempic or other semaglutide drug products.
For your awareness, the FDA is also working on investigations involving the sale of semaglutide and tirzepatide online. It appears that most of the products offered for sale are counterfeit imported from China. These products, however, are not made to look like legitimate Ozempic pens; they are sold in the form of injectable vials and labeled as semaglutide.
Lastly, the FDA has also found several companies importing a salt form of semaglutide (semaglutide sodium and acetate) for distribution and sale to compounding pharmacies. The FDA issued a guidance indicating the salt form of semaglutide is prohibited from its use in compounding human drugs. This bulk API is purchased and distributed to compounding pharmacies, who then compound semaglutide pursuant to individual prescriptions and in bulk, which has resulted in patients suffering adverse events.
This illicit activity has been detected at both the distributor and pharmacy levels of our supply chains. If you or any of your constituents have been approached about the purchase/distribution of Ozempic, semaglutide, tirzepatide, or the salt form of semaglutide (and you haven’t spoken to the PCSC already), please contact Chuck Forsaith at cforsaith@hda.org or 401-623-1344, and he will put you in touch with the OCI agent leading the investigation.