States Take Action to Ensure Safety of Compounded Drugs

Through board of pharmacy inspections of compounding pharmacies and proposed laws to tighten requirements for compounding, states are taking action to help ensure the safety of compounded drugs, reports The Washington Post. The article highlights the ongoing Iowa nonresident compounding pharmacy inspection program, a program initiated in partnership with NABP. Any disciplinary actions resulting from inspections would have to be addressed by other boards of pharmacy, Lloyd Jessen, JD, RPh, executive director, drug control program administrator, Iowa Board of Pharmacy, and NABP Executive Committee member told The Washington Post. The report also notes that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in support of legislation that would authorize the agency to regulate entities that operate like manufacturers, though they are registered as compounding pharmacies. “Rather than wait for the decision on whether it’s going to be FDA or the states,” boards of pharmacy are going to make sure they do their best to protect patients, noted Carmen Catizone, MS, RPh, DPh, NABP executive director/secretary.

More information about the Iowa compounding pharmacy inspection program and other issues related to the regulation of compounding are included in the April 2013 NABP Newsletter article “Compounding Pharmacy Information Sharing Network Available to Boards Soon” (PDF).