To further protect the integrity of the United States drug supply chain, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^® (NABP^®) has updated the criteria for the Association’s Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors^® (VAWD^®) accreditation program. Revisions to the criteria will allow virtual manufacturers and virtual wholesale distributors – a growing segment of the pharmaceutical wholesale industry – to qualify for VAWD, as well as implement other changes aimed to help ensure that the drug supply chain remains secure.

The revised VAWD criteria responds to changing business models and helps safeguard drugs in distribution at a time when there is an increased risk of counterfeit and substandard drugs entering the legitimate US drug supply chain. In particular, the criteria have been revised to provide stronger assurance that drugs diverted from pharmacies and unlawful sources are prevented from entering into the supply chain. In three instances in the past 14 months, counterfeit cancer medications were distributed to US medical practices, with the most recent incident involving a US distributor. In addition, there have been many reports of gray market distributors selling to hospitals drugs that are not always authenticated, placing patients at risk. Further, at the NABP 108^th Annual Meeting in May 2012, member boards of pharmacy adopted a resolution (NABP Resolution 108-2-12) stressing concern about the increased risk that counterfeits may enter the secure drug supply chain when virtual distributors and virtual manufacturers distribute pharmaceuticals without taking physical possession of the products. 

Recognizing that the Association’s VAWD program, established in 2004, has proven its value in helping to deter the introduction of counterfeit drugs into the supply chain, NABP members adopted Resolution 108-2-12, calling for the establishment of a task force to review and revise the VAWD criteria with the protection of public health at the forefront of its charge. The NABP Task Force on Virtual Manufacturers and Virtual Wholesale Distributors met December 11-12, 2012, and, as part of their charge, also reviewed existing current and state laws and regulations addressing virtual manufacturers and virtual wholesale distributors and relevant Model State Pharmacy Act and Model Rules of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy language. The revisions to the VAWD criteria were among the recommendations of the task force. 

The full news release about the VAWD criteria revisions is available in the Newsroom of the NABP Web site. More information about the VAWD program and the complete updated VAWD criteria are available in the Programs section of the NABP Web site.