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Henry Schein Becomes First Wholesaler to Have Entire Drug Distribution System Accredited through VAWD
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP® ) is proud to announce that Henry Schein, Inc has become the first wholesale drug distributor in the nation to have its entire distribution system accredited through the NABP Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors® (VAWD® ) program. A worldwide distributor of health care products to office-based practitioners, Henry Schein received accreditation for its facilities in Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Denver, PA; Grapevine, TX; and Sparks, NV, as well as two of its subsidiaries.
Although Henry Schein initially applied for VAWD accreditation in response to Indiana’s statutory requirement to become accredited, the company went above and beyond the Indiana requirement and obtained accreditation for facilities that are licensed outside the state of Indiana. Henry Schein exceeded the Indiana requirement because of its confidence that VAWD accreditation creates needed uniformity and provides assurance that the company is operating safely, effectively, and lawfully.
According to Leonard A. David, senior vice president and chief compliance officer of Henry Schein, “As with all facets of our business, we strive to lead our industry in regulatory compliance, and feel that the VAWD accreditation is an important demonstration of our commitment to this goal. We are proud to have earned this accreditation and are pleased that it extends to all of our United States distribution centers.”
“We applaud Henry Schein for its initiative in helping to safeguard the nation’s medicine supply chain and protect patients from the dangers of counterfeit drugs,” said NABP President Lawrence H. Mokhiber, MS, RPh. “As VAWD continues to be recognized by state boards of pharmacy across the nation, reliable safety standards for wholesale distribution are becoming a reality.”
The VAWD program is widely viewed as a tool to bring about uniformity and standardization to what is, at least in some states, a patchwork regulatory system. VAWD accreditation provides assurance that the wholesale distribution facility operates legitimately, is validly licensed in good standing, and employs security and best practices for safely distributing prescription drugs from manufacturers to pharmacies and other institutions. Applicants for VAWD accreditation undergo a criteria compliance review, licensure verification, an inspection, background checks, and screening through the NABP Clearinghouse.
While still in its relative infancy, the wholesale distributor accreditation concept is now recognized in legislation, regulations, or by policy in 15 states. Since Indiana passed its law in 2005, Colorado, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Oregon have all passed legislation or regulations that recognize either VAWD or other third-party accreditation. In addition, Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and South Carolina have all, by policy, recognized VAWD as meeting their requirements for wholesaler distributor licensure.
At present, 74 facilities have obtained VAWD accreditation. A complete listing of VAWD facilities is available in the Accreditation Programs section of the NABP Web site at www.nabp.net.
NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.
Henry Schein, Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the largest distributor of health care products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. The Company is recognized for its excellent customer service and highly competitive prices. Henry Schein’s four business groups – Dental, Medical, International and Technology – serve more than 500,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary clinics, as well as government and other institutions. The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 200 countries with a comprehensive selection of more than 70,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as over 100,000 additional products available to our customers as special order items.
Larissa Doucette
