NABP e-News: April 15, 2009

Nominees for the NABP Executive Committee State their Positions
More information about the NABP Executive Committee nominees is now available. For insight into the candidates' positions and what experience the candidates will bring to the 2009-2010 NABP Executive Committee, see the Meetings section of the NABP Web site. Voting delegates from the state boards of pharmacy will elect individuals to fill open positions during the 105th Annual Meeting, to be held May 16-19, 2009, in Miami, FL.

NABP Revises VAWD Criteria Pursuant to Updated Model Rules
NABP has updated the criteria for its Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors® (VAWD®) program pursuant to updates made to the Model Rules for the Licensure of Wholesale Drug Distributors in 2008. The changes made to the Model Rules were implemented pursuant to the Executive Committee’s approval of recommendations made by the 2007-2008 Task Force on Prescription Drug Diversion from Common Carriers. The purpose of the amendments to the Model Rules and the subsequent changes to the VAWD criteria was to further protect the public in the distribution of prescription drugs and improve quality and safety in patient care.

VIPPS Celebrates 10 Years of Guiding Patients to Legitimate Internet Pharmacies
Introduced by NABP in February 1999, the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ (VIPPS®) program celebrates 10 years of protecting patients. Read more in the March 30, 2009 NABP news release.

Jury Trial Set for Doctor Charged with Bringing Misbranded Foreign Cancer Drugs into US
A jury trial to hear the case of USA versus Vinod Chandrashekm Patwardhan has been set for April 21, 2009, in the US District Court for the Central District of California. Patwardhan, an Upland, CA doctor who specialized in treating cancer patients, was arrested in August 2008 by federal authorities after being charged with introducing foreign misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. These drugs reportedly were sometimes watered down when they were administered to his patients, according to a news release issued by Thomas P. O’Brien, US attorney for the Central District of California, on the day of the arrest. The charge of delivering misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead carries a penalty of up to three years in federal prison.

FDA Adopts Interim Plan to Avoid Shortage of Medically Necessary Opioid
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended its March 30, 2009, action warning manufacturers to stop the production and distribution of certain unapproved prescription opioids, to allow the continued marketing and distribution of one particular type of opioid, a high concentrate morphine sulfate oral solution, on an interim basis. Read more in the April 9 FDA news release.

GAO Addresses Regulation to Curb Methadone-Associated Overdose Deaths
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report addressing the problem of methadone-associated overdose deaths (GAO-09-341). Methadone prescriptions for pain management grew from approximately 531,000 in 1998 to approximately 4.1 million in 2006, or nearly eightfold, GAO reports. To examine the regulation of methadone for pain management and addiction treatment, GAO reviewed relevant federal statutes and regulations and identified selected efforts to prevent methadone abuse and overdose deaths that focused on education, safety, and monitoring. The report, “Methadone-Associated Overdose Deaths: Factors Contributing to Increased Deaths and Efforts to Prevent Them,” is available on the GAO Web site.

Five Additional Facilities Awarded VAWD Accreditation
NABP recently accredited five additional facilities through its Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors® (VAWD®) program, bringing the total number of accredited facilities to 320 as of April 10, 2009. A full listing of VAWD facilities is available under Accreditation Programs on the NABP Web site.

  • Butler Animal Health Supply, LLC distributes prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications and veterinary supplies to licensed veterinarians and veterinary hospitals and clinics in the Colorado region. The company received accreditation for its Aurora, CO facility.
  • Cardinal Health 200 Inc, dba Cardinal Health, distributes non-drug medical products to hospitals and surgery centers primarily in California. It also provides third-party logistics services for Baxter International Inc. The company received accreditation for its Dixon, CA facility.
  • Cardinal Health 411, Inc dba Cardinal Health, distributes prescription medications and OTC products to pharmacies, hospitals, surgical centers, clinics, and practitioners’ offices primarily in California and Nevada. The company received accreditation for its Elk Grove, CA facility.
  • Caremark Repack, LLC repackages prescription drug products for distribution exclusively to five CVS Caremark mail-order pharmacies and CVS Distribution Centers. The company received accreditation for its Gurnee, IL facility.
  • McKesson Corporation, dba McKesson Drug Company, distributes Schedule II-V controlled substances, non-controlled prescription drugs, OTC medications, and front-end items. The company received accreditation for its Sacramento, CA facility.

News Topics

Archives