FDA Issues Update on Antimalarial Drugs Used to Treat COVID-19, Reminds Health Care Providers to Closely Monitor Patients to Mitigate Risks Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a drug safety communication regarding the known side effects of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine that have been reported with their use for the treatment or prevention of coronavirus […]

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FDA Issues Health Care Provider Information on Antibody Testing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending that health care providers continue to use serological (antibody) tests intended to identify people who have been exposed to or recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). FDA specifically recommended the following for health care providers: Continue to use serological […]

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CDC Issues Updated Guidance for Pharmacies During Pandemic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated guidance for pharmacies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to help minimize risk to staff and customers. The guidance, published on April 14, 2020, includes recommendations that: Everyone entering the pharmacy should wear a face covering, […]

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DEA Issues Temporary Exception to “Five Percent Rule” For Distributing CS to Other Dispensers In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a temporary exception to 21 CFR 1307.11, also known as the “five percent rule,” to allow registered dispensers to distribute greater quantities of controlled substances (CS) […]

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HHS: Pharmacists May Order and Administer COVID-19 Testing On April 8, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it would allow licensed pharmacists to order and administer coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests to their patients. The HHS guidance directs pharmacists to review Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) emergency use […]

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Nearly 3,500 Pharmacists and Technicians Seek NABP Passport, a New Service Supporting the Association’s COVID-19 Response As of April 9, 2020, NABP has received 3,468 requests for an NABP Passport. Launched in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, this new service supports member state boards of pharmacy in processing requests for temporary and emergency […]

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HHS Will Relax HIPAA Rules to Facilitate Telehealth During COVID-19 Pandemic To facilitate the use of telehealth services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, some of which may not be fully compliant with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) […]

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NABP Supports Boards of Pharmacy to Expedite Emergency Licensure for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians NABP is assisting its member boards of pharmacy in expediting emergency and temporary licensure requests for licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians through its new program, NABP Passport. Developed in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), NABP Passport facilitates temporary authorization for […]

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Written by: Libby Baney, Faegre Drinker LLP and Matthew Rubin, Faegre Drinker Consulting Amid what the World Health Organization now considers a worldwide pandemic, coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) has been the source of deep concern for individuals and communities across the globe. We hope all reading this have remained safe and healthy throughout the […]

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NABP and FSMB Issue Joint Statement on Inappropriate Prescribing and Dispensing of Medications Related to COVID-19 NABP and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) have issued a joint statement in response to recent reports that some health care providers are abusing prescribing and dispensing privileges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, reports […]

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