GAO Study Finds FDA Actions Have Reduced New Drug Shortages, Recommends Additional Action
Steps taken by FDA have successfully reduced the number of new drug shortages, and a new study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urges the agency to take additional steps to reduce the number of overall drug shortages. The report acknowledges the impact of recent FDA actions, including implementation of FDA Safety and Innovation Act regulations […]
Read More ›ACPE Releases Draft Standards for Pharmacy Professional Programs for Public Comment
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) has released the Draft Revised Standards for the Professional Program Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree (Draft Standards 2016) and the Guidance Document to Standards 2016 for public review and comment. The Draft Standards 2016 aim to ensure pharmacy education program graduates are “prepared to directly provide patient […]
Read More ›New York’s Strengthened PMP Helped Cut “Doctor Shopping” by 75%
Since the implementation of New York state’s Internet System for Tracking Over-Prescribing Act (I-STOP) in August 2013, “doctor shopping” – when patients visit multiple doctors to obtain controlled substance medications – has been reduced by 75%, reports the New York Health Commissioner. I-STOP required the establishment of a real-time prescription monitoring program (PMP). “Starting in […]
Read More ›Turkish Nationals Indicted For Smuggling Counterfeit Cancer Drugs Into US
Two Turkish nationals have been arrested and charged with obtaining unapproved, misbranded, adulterated, and counterfeit prescription cancer medications from Turkey and other foreign countries and smuggling them into the US. The men, Ozkan Semizoglu and Sabahaddin Akman, allegedly used misleading shipping labels to conceal the illegal shipments and fraudulently described the contents of the packages […]
Read More ›West Virginia Considering Legislation to Make PSE Prescription-Only
Aimed to reduce the illegal manufacture and abuse of methamphetamine, a bill that would make pseudoephedrine (PSE) medications available by prescription only has passed the West Virginia Senate. Senate Bill 6 (PDF) would prohibit the sale, transfer, or dispensing of PSE without a prescription, with the exception of drug products that the West Virginia Board […]
Read More ›California Bill Would Allow Pharmacists to Dispense Naloxone Under Approved Protocol
In response to the growing rate of opiate overdose fatalities in California, a bill aimed at expanding access to naloxone hydrochloride has been introduced to the state assembly. If approved, the bill (AB 1535), will allow pharmacists who have completed a training program on the use of opioid antagonists to dispense the overdose reversal medication […]
Read More ›NABP Collaborates With Health Care Stakeholders on Ensuring Delivery of Responsible and Effective Patient Care
Consensus Document on Prescribing and Dispensing Controlled Substances Issued The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®), along with a coalition of health care industry stakeholders, has issued a consensus statement regarding the collaborative steps that will be taken to help ensure the delivery of responsible and effective patient care as it relates to the […]
Read More ›Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Illegally Dispensing Prescription Painkillers
Leonard “Lenny” Stefanelli, the former pharmacist-in-charge of West Orange Pharmacy, West Orange, NJ, admitted to illegally dispensing hundreds of tablets of OxyContin® and for submitting fraudulent bills to health care benefit providers over the course of two decades. According to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Stefanelli […]
Read More ›ACPE Elects Executive Committee and Board Liaisons for 2014-2015
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) has announced the members of the 2014-2015 ACPE Executive Committee. Stephanie F. Gardner was elected as president, Bruce R. Canaday was elected to serve as vice president, and Michael A. Moné was re-elected as secretary/treasurer. Donna Wall was elected to serve as interim board liaison to the CPE Commission. […]
Read More ›Acetaminophen Prescription Combination Drug Products With More Than 325 mg: FDA Statement – Recommendation to Discontinue
In light of all the recent news alerts and warnings about the use of acetaminophen and acetaminophen containing products, the FDA issued a recommendation of importance to pharmacists, prescribers, and patients. FDA recommends that health care providers consider prescribing combination drug products that contain 325 mg or less of acetaminophen. FDA also recommends that when a […]
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