NABP e-News November 29, 2006

NABP Wins CMS Approval to Accredit Suppliers of Durable Medical Equipment
NABP received approval on November 22, 2006, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to become an accrediting organization for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). NABP’s DMEPOS-accreditation program, which meets or exceeds all of CMS' quality standards, targets state-licensed pharmacies that provide a limited line of durable medical equipment. The primary goal of the program is to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries receive the appropriate products, services, and patient care associated with DMEPOS. More information will be forthcoming in the January 2007 issue of the NABP Newsletter. CMS’ DMEPOS-supplier quality standards are available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/competitiveAcqforDMEPOS/.

IMPACT Unveils Global Plan to Combat Prescription Drug Counterfeiting
The International Medical Products Anti-counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) on November 15 unveiled its global plan to combat prescription drug counterfeiting. The plan includes five key components:

  • guidelines to help governments strengthen national legislation,
  • national coordination of regulatory agencies,
  • collaboration to increase enforcement efforts,
  • development of technologies to prevent or detect counterfeits, and
  • communication strategies to educate health professionals, regulators, and the public.


Established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, the group also released updated estimates on the prevalence of counterfeit drugs, ranging from less than 1% of sales in the United States and other developed countries, to 30% in certain developing regions. Estimates are available at http://www.who.int/medicines/services/counterfeit/impact/TheNewEstimatesCounterfeit.pdf.
The IMPACT launch speech is available at http://www.who.int/medicines/services/counterfeit/impact/IMPACT_speechBonnHZucker.pdf.

Six Facilities Awarded VAWD Accreditation
NABP recently accredited six new facilities through its Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors® (VAWD®) program, bringing the total number of accredited facilities to 23. A full listing of VAWD facilities is available in the VAWD section of NABP's Web site, http://www.nabp.net.

  • Blood Diagnostics, Inc, is a national, wholesale distributor of plasma derived pharmaceuticals. The company received VAWD accreditation for its Irmo, SC facility.
  • Bound Tree Medical, LLC, is a distributor of medical equipment and supplies to the pre-hospital marketplace. The company received VAWD accreditation for its Southaven, MS facility.
  • Chartwell Midwest Indiana, LLC, is a provider of health care services in the home setting. The company received VAWD accreditation for its Indianapolis, IN facility.
  • General Injectables & Vaccines, Inc, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Henry Schein, Inc, which distributes injectable prescription products and vaccines to practitioners in the United States and its territories. The company received VAWD accreditation for its Bastian, VA facility.
  • Independent Pharmacy Cooperative offers a full line of prescription drugs and over-the-counter products, with the exception of controlled substances. The company received VAWD accreditation for its Sun Prairie, WI facility.
  • Lincare Pharmacy Services, Inc, provides respiratory care, infusion therapy and medical equipment to patients in the home. The company received VAWD accreditation for its Clearwater, FL facility.

NABP to Address Council of State Governments on Counterfeiting Policy
On December 2, in Phoenix, AZ, NABP is scheduled to present at the Council of State Governments 2006 Annual State Trends and Leadership Forum. The Association will take part in a Plenary Session that addresses state policy responses to the counterfeit drug issue. NABP's presentation will focus on the history of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA), the expiration of the stay on certain pedigree provisions of the PDMA, and the key roles that state Boards of Pharmacy play in addressing the issue. The plenary session also includes Senator Liz Figueroa of California, Senator Marvin Riegsecker of Indiana and Senator Leticia Van de Putte of Texas, all of whom were instrumental in passing state legislation to address the counterfeit drug problem.

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