Record Amount of Unwanted Medications Collected During Eighth Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Nearly 800,000 pounds of unneeded prescription medications were properly disposed of during the April 26, 2014, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, the largest amount of drugs collected since the first DEA Take-Back Day event in September 2010. DEA and its law enforcement partners set up more than 6,000 collection sites across […]
Read More ›New Requirements for Some Painkiller Prescriptions Help to Lower Addiction Risk, Massachusetts Insurer Reports
After implementing stricter requirements for certain painkiller prescriptions, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts, the state’s largest private health insurer, has released the results of an “18-month checkup.” Among the findings, long-acting opioid claims were reduced by 50%, and short-acting opioid claims were reduced by 20%. The policies have helped to avoid excess […]
Read More ›Florida House of Representatives Approves Bill to Increase the Number of Pharmacy Technicians a Pharmacist can Oversee
A bill that would increase the number of pharmacy technicians a pharmacist may supervise has passed the Florida House of Representatives. CS/HB 323 (PDF) would require the Florida Board of Pharmacy to establish rules “under which a licensee who applies to the board for approval may supervise more than three, but not more than six registered […]
Read More ›Virginia Revokes License of Pharmacist for Excessive Opioid Dispensing
The Virginia Board of Pharmacy has revoked the license of Douglas A. Harris, the pharmacist-in-charge of Beaverdam pharmacy in Beaverdam, VA, after he was found to have illegally dispensed thousands of opioid dosage units between March 29, 2012, and April 3, 2013. In addition, the Board imposed a $15,000 fine. Beaverdam Pharmacy reportedly filled 338 […]
Read More ›Compounding Quality Act Implementation Discussed by State and Federal Officials at Inter-Governmental Meeting
To identify opportunities to better protect the public health by strengthening oversight of compounding practice and improving federal-state collaboration, an intergovernmental meeting was convened by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 20-21, 2014, in Silver Spring, MD. Participants at the meeting, including representatives from the boards of pharmacy, health departments, Centers for Disease Control […]
Read More ›NABP Executive Director Featured in Video Interviews to Promote DEA Take-Back Day
As part of the AWARXE Prescription Drug Safety Program’s most recent social media campaign, Carmen A. Catizone, MS, RPh, DPh, NABP executive director/secretary, answered blogger’s questions about the importance of proper drug disposal during a series of video interviews. Appearing in order to promote the Drug Enforcement Administration Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held on April […]
Read More ›FDA Developing Track and Trace Standards as Part of DSCSA Implementation
To protect consumers from drugs that may be counterfeit, stolen, or tainted, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advancing efforts to implement an advanced track and trace program. The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), enacted as Title II of the Drug Quality and Security Act in November 2013, authorizes FDA to create and implement […]
Read More ›CPPA Community Pharmacy Practice Accreditation Program Now Accepting Applications
The Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CPPA) has launched a new program to accredit outpatient pharmacy practices in the community, hospitals, health systems, and clinics. This voluntary accreditation process is now available to community and other outpatient pharmacy practices with an interest in improving patient care and differentiating themselves in the marketplace. Applications for accreditation […]
Read More ›Prescription Drug Abuse Workgroup Formed in Senate Health Committee
With more than 16,000 lives lost each year due to opioid-related overdoses, the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) is establishing a working group to address the national prescription drug abuse epidemic. The bipartisan HELP Committee Prescription Drug Working Group will meet to discuss the challenges of prescription drug abuse, and what […]
Read More ›Opioid Addiction Epidemic Declared Public Health Emergency in Massachusetts
In response to a growing number of opioid-related deaths, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick declared a public health emergency. Patrick noted that use of oxycodone and other narcotic painkillers, often seen as a gateway to heroin use, has been on the rise in Massachusetts. He directed the state’s Department of Public Health (DPH) to take several […]
Read More ›