UPS First Package Delivery Company to Join CSIP in Fight against Rogue Internet Drug Outlets
United Parcel Service (UPS) has become the first global package delivery organization to join the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) as a strategic partner and board member. CSIP is a nonprofit organization that was established to educate the public and to take voluntary enforcement action against illegal Internet drug sellers and its board of […]
Read More ›Three New Alabama Laws Aim to Crack Down on ‘Doctor Shopping’ and Prescription Drug Abuse
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley has signed into law three bills aimed to reverse the state’s growing prescription drug abuse rate. In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified Alabama among the top 20 states in number of drug overdose deaths. In response to that report and other indicators, laws addressing the state’s prescription […]
Read More ›Veterinarians Not Eligible for NPIs, CMS Clarifies
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has become aware of cases in which veterinarians are told, incorrectly, that they must provide a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number for prescriptions they have written to be dispensed. The agency has issued a clarification, stressing that veterinarians do not meet the regulatory definition of “health care provider,” […]
Read More ›GAO Issues Recommendations for Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services for Compounding Pharmacies
In a July 2013 report, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends that “Congress should consider clarifying FDA’s authority to oversee certain entities that compound drugs.” GAO indicates that there is a lack of consensus on when compounding becomes manufacturing and specifically that “there was not agreement on whether compounding pharmacies that are engaged […]
Read More ›NABP Delivers Testimony at House Subcommittee Hearing on Reforming Compounding Regulations
A United States House of Representatives subcommittee held a hearing (PDF) July 16, 2013, to examine various bills aimed to implement new frameworks for the regulation of compounding. The Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health, convened to hear expert testimony from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other experts in health care […]
Read More ›State and Federal Regulators Continue to Combat Rogue Internet Drug Sellers, US GAO Reports
While facing the challenges of investigating and prosecuting complex, global operations, federal agencies in the United States continue to take action against Web sites illegally distributing prescription drugs to US consumers. A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviews how such sites violate federal and state laws and the challenges of investigating them, […]
Read More ›Thousands of Rogue Online Drug Sellers Shut Down During Operation Pangea VI
As part of the sixth annual International Internet Week of Action (IIWA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took action against more than 9,600 Web sites illegally selling drugs that included counterfeit, substandard, and other potentially dangerous products. FDA seized and shut down 1,677 of the Web sites, and issued regulatory warnings to others. FDA reports […]
Read More ›Patient Survey Reveals Poor Adherence to Prescribed Medication Therapy, Explores Adherence Predictors
Many Americans are not adhering to prescribed medication regimens, indicates a new patient survey commissioned by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). The survey asked 1,020 adults about specific non-adherent behaviors, graded the responses, and determined that participants with chronic medical conditions averaged a C+ in medication adherence. One in seven respondents with chronic conditions […]
Read More ›Plan B’ Morning After Pill to Be Available OTC Without Age Restrictions, According to Federal Judge’s Ruling
A ruling by Judge Edward R. Korman, Eastern District Court of New York, will effectively make the Plan B® One-Step, or “morning after” contraceptive pill, available as an over-the-counter product with no age restrictions, reports the New York Times. As part of the implementation process, the drug’s manufacturer, Teva Pharmaceuticals, must submit a supplemental new […]
Read More ›Tennessee Board of Pharmacy Implements Rule to Facilitate Earlier Responses to Compounding Safety Issues
The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy has implemented a new rule that will effectively enable the Board to act more quickly when a potential safety issue at a facility engaged in compounding is detected. As indicated in a news release from the Board, the rule will “expedite suspension of sterile compounding by a pharmacy or manufacturer […]
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