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. 

Federal lawmakers have drafted legislation that would create a new category of drug compounders, “compounding manufacturers,” to be regulated by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) sixth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 27, 2013, collected twice the amount of unneeded and expired medications for safe disposal than the previous DEA take-back event six months ago.

Best practices for pharmacy security guidelines have been developed by the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy and the state’s Attorney General to assist pharmacies in preventing drug theft and diversion. 

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. 

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^® (NABP^®) recently issued a report emphasizing that the global distribution of counterfeit and substandard medications, fueled by illegal online sellers, demands an international response.

Two pharmacies have voluntarily recalled their sterile compounded products because of concerns associated with quality control processes and a lack of sterility assurance. 

The next opportunity to dispose of any unneeded or unwanted medications at a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day collection site will be Saturday, April 27, 2013.

In a meeting last week, members of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee stressed that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could have done more to prevent the fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 53 people and sickened hundreds in late 2012.

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, reported in a recent FDA blog article that agency inspectors encountered “objectionable conditions” at 30 of the 31 sterile compounding pharmacies they recently examined.

FDA is warning health care providers to quarantine and cease use of sterile drug products from ApotheCure, Inc, and NuVision Pharmacy, two Dallas, TX, facilities.

Tennessee lawmakers are considering legislation that would enable compounding pharmacies to create medicines without patient-specific prescriptions during drug shortages and other times when a product is not commercially available.

A report released by US Representative Ed Markey (D-MA) highlights the challenges states face in regulating compounding pharmacies and examines how the pharmacies are tracked and inspected.

Nevada-based Green Valley Drugs has issued a voluntary recall of all lots of all its compounded, repackaged drugs because of a lack of sterility assurance. 

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) will provide a free, live Webcast Thursday, April 18, 2013, from its Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, of a panel discussion on current trends in multi-state licensure in health care. 

The emergency pharmacy status reporting tool operated by Rx Response now goes by an easy-to-remember name, Rx Open, with a matching URL, www.RxOpen.org.

Fentanyl patches should be securely stored out of the sight and reach of children and disposed of properly, advises Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

United Parcel Service (UPS) agreed to forfeit $40 million in payments received from online entities illegally selling and distributing prescription drug products.

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called for the development of legislation to establish appropriate, minimum federal standards for entities engaged in the compounding of non-patient-specific sterile drugs for interstate distribution, states FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD.

With the aim of curbing prescription drug abuse, bipartisan legislation that would reclassify drug products containing hydrocodone as Schedule II controlled substances (CS) was introduced to Congress on March 20, 2013.

Med Prep Consulting, Inc, a New Jersey-based compounding pharmacy, voluntarily recalled all lots of all its compounded products after a Connecticut hospital discovered mold particles in five bags of an intravenous solution.

FDA is alerting health care providers and patients of a voluntary recall of all sterile products produced and distributed by Clinical Specialties Compounding Pharmacy (CSCP) of Augusta, GA. 

With the arrival of allergy season, FDA has a released a new video to help educate patients about safe use of medications containing acetaminophen.

To protect the public health, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should carefully consider using the exercise of enforcement discretion during drug shortages, urges NABP. 

Stressing the potential danger to patients, NABP expressed its opposition to legislation introduced in Maine that would allow the dispensing of drugs from mail-order pharmacies located around the world.

Former New England Compounding Center (NECC) employees reveal how workload and facility conditions contributed to the tragic meningitis outbreak linked to the company’s contaminated drugs in a 60 Minutes segment.

Inspections of 30 entities engaged in compounding are underway by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors as part of the agency’s response to the 2012 meningitis outbreak linked to contaminated compounded injectable drugs.

Aimed to reduce prescription drug abuse and diversion, legislation that would establish an expanded PMP in Pennsylvania is under consideration by state lawmakers. 

The NABP membership consists of the regulatory boards regulating the profession of pharmacy. These boards are statutorily created and empowered and act in the interest of protecting the public. 

Pharmacists’ authority to vaccinate may be expanded in Wyoming under a bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe and administer immunizations for individuals age seven and older.

New York physician Felix Rodriguez pled guilty to the distribution of more than 1,000 oxycodone pills to individuals without legitimate medical need for the drug.

Prescription drugs were involved in 60% of drug overdose deaths, which increased for the 11th consecutive year, reports Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Aimed to address prescription drug misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths, the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (SB 348) was reintroduced in the United States Senate.

Cooperation among international pharmacy regulatory agencies and tightening the United States drug distribution chain would help protect global public health from substandard and falsified drugs, indicates a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

Consumers across the country will have another opportunity to help prevent abuse and misuse of prescription drugs by disposing of any unneeded or unwanted medications during the sixth Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

In a letter (PDF) to PharMEDium Services LLC, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research indicates that it will no longer exercise enforcement discretion that allowed the company to produce non-patient specific drug products for distribution to hospitals across the country. 

Partial or complete cease and desist orders were issued to 11 compounding pharmacies by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).

FDA is alerting health care providers that an unapproved cancer medicine distributed by a United States company, Medical Device King (also known as Pharmalogical), is counterfeit.

Compelling progress has been made by stakeholders seeking to address the public health issue of acetaminophen overdose, indicates a white paper published by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP).

A majority of respondents to a survey on compounding practices indicated that pharmacy technicians who work in sterile compounding should be certified or licensed. 

Responding to epidemic proportions of flu in New York State, Governor Andrew Cuomo has passed emergency orders expanding pharmacists’ authority to vaccinate individuals against the illness. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee recommended reclassifying hydrocodone combination products as Schedule II controlled substances after a two-day meeting.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has issued a National Alert Network (NAN) notice (PDF) advising that health care organizations should take immediate steps to ensure that only diluted acetic acid solutions are used in patient care.

USP is seeking qualified candidates to serve on the Pharmaceutical Compounding–Sterile Preparations Expert Panel.

Andrew J. Strempler, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced to four years in prison for charges related to the operation of a Web site illegally marketing and distributing prescription drugs to US residents. 

A spike in flu activity and limited supplies of vaccine and Tamiflu^® doses across the country have prompted Rx Response to move its operations to Alert status.

FDA has issued new dosing recommendations for sleep aids containing zolpidem.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has launched a National Vaccine Error Reporting Program (VERP) that allows health care providers to confidentially report vaccine administration errors and near misses.

The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, which already has strong compounding regulations and requirements in place, is in the process of considering additional requirements, some of which will require the passage of new legislation. 

The California State Board of Pharmacy will sponsor a bill that would allow inspectors to make unannounced on-site inspections of certain nonresident pharmacies.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will file a bill that would strengthen the state’s regulation of compounding pharmacies. 

Google has begun running search-based advertising aimed to help educate US consumers about illegal online drug sellers.

Emphasizing risks to patient safety, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has alerted more than 350 medical practices (PDF) across the country that they may have received unapproved medications.

As FDA continues to seek a balance between minimizing opioid drug abuse and enabling the appropriate treatment of pain, the agency will hold a two-day public hearing to obtain information.

In an attempt to tighten federal oversight of compounding pharmacies in the wake of the meningitis outbreak, the S.A.F.E. Compounded Drugs Act of 2012 (HR 6638) was introduced in Congress.

Hospitals and medical centers that relied upon the NECC and its sister company, Ameridose LLC, are suffering shortages of antibiotics, pain medications, and other drugs.

Supporting state board of pharmacy efforts to enforce compounding regulations, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) is implementing a four-part action plan centered around inspection of nonresident compounding pharmacies and creating an information sharing network of regulatory details...

Additional microbial contamination has been identified in three drug products at NECC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continue investigating NECC and have discovered bacteria and fungal species in unopened vials of betamethasone,...

A federal grand jury is collecting information and evidence from people who worked with the New England Compounding Center (NECC), the pharmacy that produced contaminated steroid injections leading to a multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis affecting over 540 people. The...

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has sent cease and desist orders to three compounding pharmacies for drug preparation and storage problems that were discovered during surprise inspections. The Boston Globe reports that the issues found at the facilities –...