Aimed to address prescription drug misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths, the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (SB 348) was reintroduced in the United States Senate by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV). The bill includes a number of provisions aimed to prevent diversion and abuse and foster safe use of […]

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Aimed to protect public health, a bill introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature would bring pharmacy benefit managers under the regulation of the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy. State representative David Derby, the bill’s sponsor, stated that the “bill is about compliance and safety” and noted that provisions would help to ensure that drugs are stored […]

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Stricter inspection requirements for nonresident compounding pharmacies and a clarification that distinguishes compounding from manufacturing are among the statutory changes included in House Bill 2312 currently being considered by the Virginia Legislature. If the bill passes, nonresident pharmacies will be required to submit to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy documentation of an inspection conducted within […]

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Partial or complete cease and desist orders were issued to 11 compounding pharmacies by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), with another 21 pharmacies cited for minor deficiencies. The actions resulted from a round of surprise inspections of 40 Massachusetts pharmacies engaged in sterile compounding. DPH notes that the pharmacies that received notices of […]

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FDA is alerting health care providers that an unapproved cancer medicine distributed by a United States company, Medical Device King (also known as Pharmalogical), is counterfeit. FDA reports that at least one batch of a counterfeit version of Roche’s Altuzan distributed in the US contains no active ingredient. The agency notes further that even if […]

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With the multistate meningitis outbreak linked to unsafe compounding practices at the New England Compounding Center, state and federal lawmakers, regulators, government officials, and stakeholders, including NABP, are seeking to clarify the law and put in place new systems. Information on actions taken by state boards of pharmacy, including details about the compounding action plan […]

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Compelling progress has been made by stakeholders seeking to address the public health issue of acetaminophen overdose, indicates a white paper published by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP). In 2011, NCPDP made recommendations that the health care industry take actions to support the safe use of acetaminophen, including recommending that pharmacies produce […]

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee recommended reclassifying hydrocodone combination products as Schedule II controlled substances after a two-day meeting, January 24-25, 2013. The committee voted 19 to 10 in favor of the recommendation after discussing the potential for abuse of drugs containing hydrocodone, either combined with other […]

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The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has issued a National Alert Network (NAN) notice (PDF) advising that health care organizations should take immediate steps to ensure that only diluted acetic acid solutions are used in patient care. ISMP advises that the use and purchase of glacial acetic acid, the most concentrated form of acetic […]

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The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy has convened a task force to review the state’s regulations pertaining to compounding and determine how regulations might be strengthened to further protect the public health. At the end of 2012, the Board conducted a survey of the 2,350 pharmacies licensed by the state. Of the 1,893 pharmacies responding, 352 […]

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