NABP e-News: May 28, 2008

May 28, 2008 12:00 AM

NABP 104th Annual Meeting Election Results, Officers’ Reports Available Online
During the NABP 104th Annual Meeting May 17-20, 2008, delegates from the member boards of pharmacy elected individuals to fill the president-elect, treasurer, and open member positions on the Association’s 2008-2009 Executive Committee. Election results and biographical information are posted under Newsroom on the NABP Web site. NABP officers’ speeches, as presented at Annual Meeting, are also available on the Web site. During the Annual Meeting, delegates from the boards of pharmacy adopted eight resolutions. A summary is provided in the May 21 news release, and full text of the resolutions will be posted online in the near future.

NABP Names Additional 53 Internet Drug Outlets out of Compliance with Pharmacy Practice Standards
NABP recently named an additional 53 Internet drug outlets that appear to be out of compliance with state and federal laws and NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards. These findings bring the number of sites listed as “not recommended” in the new Internet Pharmacies section of the NABP Web site to 132 as of May 23, 2008. NABP launched its new Internet Drug Outlet Identification program on May 16 to educate patients on the potential dangers of buying medicine online and to empower them to make informed choices. Program criteria, patient information, and a full listing of “not recommended” Internet drug outlets are available under Buying Medicine Online on the NABP Web site.

NABP in the News Regarding Rogue Internet Drug Outlets
An interview with NABP aired on the Anderson Cooper 360o show on CNN May 22, 2008. The interview highlighted the risks associated with buying prescription medications online, and the Association’s new Internet Drug Outlet Identification program. In addition, a related news story appearing May 22 on CNN.com/health, “Widow: My husband died from online drugs” (www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/21/online.drugs/index.html) spotlights a patient overdose from drugs purchased over the Internet without a prescription or a physical examination by a practitioner. NABP is cited in the article. Related information is posted under Buyer Beware: Protect Yourself When Buying Medications Online on NABP Web site.

Hawaii Adopts Law Allowing Importation of Foreign Drugs
The Hawaii legislature recently adopted a law allowing residents to buy foreign prescription drugs over the Internet. The law enrolls Hawaii in the I-SaveRx program, which will ship unapproved drugs from overseas to state residents, in conflict with federal law. Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle vetoed the bill on May 1, 2008, whereupon the members of the Senate and House overrode the veto by a two-thirds vote. Since Illinois implemented the I-SaveRx prescription drug program in 2004, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, and Vermont have joined the program as participating states. The program is set to begin in Hawaii by July 1, 2009. It is the position of NABP that allowing and encouraging the illegal purchase and importation of medications from other countries without the appropriate regulatory safeguards is a serious threat to the US regulatory foundation and to patient safety. The law is posted on the Hawaii legislature Web site at www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/Bills/HB7_SD1_.pdf.

Minnesota Adopts Law to Thwart Illicit Internet Drug Outlets
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a law on May 19, 2008, which, among other things, cracks down on pharmacies that work with illegitimate Web sites. In addition, the legislation modifies a 2007 law pertaining to a controlled substances electronic prescription monitoring program. The legislation is intended to curb the operation of illicit Internet drug outlets in Minnesota. The bill was created in response to the 2006 prescription drug overdose of St. Cloud, MN resident Justin Pearson, who obtained a prescription for a controlled substance from an Internet drug outlet by filling out an online questionnaire without a medical evaluation. Dubbed "Justin's Bill," the legislation requires a face-to-face visit between the patient and the practitioner who prescribes a commonly abused prescription drug. The law is effective as of May 20 and is posted on the Minnesota Senate Web site at www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S2941.3.html&session=ls85.

Google Launches Online Medical Records Service
Google launched a medical records service on May 19, 2008, allowing users to store and manage their health care information online. United States residents can register for the service, called Google Health, and then authorize dozens of partners to upload their medical records to Google's servers. Users can then add their own data and decide who can access it. The service is free and enables people to maintain electronic copies of information such as prescriptions, lab test results, hospital stays, and medical conditions stored on Google computers. In response to privacy concerns, Google says it has built a secure computer platform separate from its search system to host medical records as part of an emphasis on protecting sensitive health information. Microsoft began offering a similar HealthVault service in October 2007.