Licensing

WASHINGTON — A coalition of associations representing supplement manufacturers on Tuesday expressed their support of the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

WASHINGTON — A Medicare proposed rule change limiting the number of prescription drug plans that insurers may offer in the Part D market could require 39% of all enhanced plans to be eliminated in 2016, according to an analysis from Avalere Health that was released Wednesday. The change, which limits standalone PDP sponsors to one basic and one enhanced plan per region, was proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a January proposed regulation. 

The nation’s pharmacies are no longer just for prescription medications and states are proving to be the enablers to a broader the scope of practice.

In light of the evolving healthcare landscape, USA Today published an article on Friday about how pharmacists are increasingly working with doctors to assess patients, identify drug interactions and medication errors and, in some cases, even write a prescription.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia took one step closer to making pseudoephedrine products prescription-only, as the state's Senate Committee on Health voted Tuesday to move ahead with the proposal, according to an Associated Press report. 

According to the report, the bill would allow an exception for certain over-the-counter drugs that are deemed "tamper resistant" by the Board of Pharmacy.

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition on Tuesday promoted Douglas “Duffy” MacKay to SVP scientific and regulatory affairs, effective immediately. This promotion recognizes the contributions MacKay has made to CRN in the science and regulatory areas since he joined the association in September 2008.

NEW YORK — The Veterans Health Administration is weighing new guidelines that would enable nurse practitioners with advanced education to practice medicine without direct supervision by physicians — a move that is being applauded by the dean of Columbia University School of Nursing.

In 2012, compounding made headlines when 64 people died as a result of fungal meningitis caused by contaminated compounded products.

History