Legal News

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) applauded a decision by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth to postpone a February hearing about Medicaid Average Manufacturer Price (AMP).

Henry Waxman this week told attendees of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association Annual in Florida that he would work to pass legislation that would allow generic versions of biogenerics and biosimilar pharmaceuticals.

Twelve pharmacy groups have formed a coalition to promote common pharmacy principles for health care reform.

Versions of the Pain Care Act have been introduced in Congress every year since 2003. Passed in the House of Representatives in 2008, it must pass there again before moving to the Senate.

South Dakota pharmacists can now authorize, supervise, and verify prescriptions filled by pharmacy technicians in remote locations.

Rite Aid and subsidiaries in eight states were fined $5 million for violating the Controlled Substances Act.

Medications are often prescribed for off-label purposes without evidence of effectiveness or safety. Unsupported use is especially high for antidepressants, antipsychotics, and sedatives.

Three pharmacy owners and four pharmacists were among 12 people recently indicted for participating in a conspiracy that dispensed and sold thousands of dosages of anabolic steroids ? including powerful veterinary steroids approved for animal use only ? to users throughout the United States.

The slumping U.S economy and government regulations will cause pharmacy sales to grow only around 1.3 percent rate in 2009, according to new research presented last week at the American Society for Automation in Pharmacy?s Industry and Technology Issues in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a voluntary pilot program to ensure the safety of drugs and active drug ingredients produced outside the United States.

Eli Lilly and Co. has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and will pay more approximately $800 million for unproven marketing and promotional claims involving the antipsychotic medication Zyprexa.

Investigators at University of California, San Francisco, examined 164 drug trials and their reports. Published reports tended to be more favorable than information reviewed by FDA. Bias is suspected.

Boston has followed San Francisco's lead and has banned pharmacy tobacco sales. It went even further and banned cigarette sales on college campuses.

Two pharmacy technicians in Miami were recently arrested on charges of Medicaid fraud. Keep reading to learn more.

A former pharmacist has been convicted of felony conflict of interest charges for taking payments from drug companies and pocketing money for supervising pharmacy interns from Duquesne University.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires the manufacturers of antiepileptic drugs to add a warning that using the drugs increases risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins recently announced Marty Sanders, 34 of Sumter, S.C., was sentenced in federal court on drug charges.

A patient suit against Wyeth Pharmaceuticals may open brand name drug makers to liability for mishaps when patients take a generic product.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether some asthma medications, in rare cases, can increase the risk of serious asthma complications.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently recalled two unapproved and uncleared devices whose manufacturers claimed could treat various medical conditions. The recall was a Class 1, which means there is a reasonable probability that the use of a device will cause adverse reactions, including death.

Walgreens and Phillip Morris both recently requested injunctions to stop enforcement of San Francisco?s ban on selling tobacco products in pharmacies.

FDA approves Gamunex for treatment of neurologic disease.

Northern Michigan Regional Hospital is the first hospital in the country to win certification in waste management.

The searchable database will include information on all drug products available in the United States.

Pharmacists hope to speed approvals of off-label medication uses

Disposal of unused medications and other controlled substances is an expensive logistical challenge. Pouring controlled substances into sewer systems is harmful. Incineration costs are prohibitive.

With the shifting political landscape in Congress and state legislatures across the nation, and an increased focus on health care, 2009 could be a busy year for pharmacy initiatives, according to Geralyn M. Trujillo, MPP, the director of state government affairs for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently informed Part D plans they are suspending the current collection of long-term care rebate reports for 2008 and 2009, in lieu of a new reporting requirement that will be changed in 2010. Additionally, the agency plans to test the proposed reporting requirements with a small number of Part D sponsors prior to 2010.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama selected Tom Daschle, a former senator, to be his health secretary.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) President and CEO Billy Tauzin today expressed his hope that the next head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can work with diverse constituents and improve the agency?s scientific bases.