Licensing

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has reorganized the Office of Generic Drugs in an effort to improve efficiency, according to an internal memo.

The new organizational scheme will add a new division to the bioequivalence program called Division of Bioequivalence II and a new chemistry division, Division of Chemistry IV.

AVON, Conn. — Healthcare accrediting organization URAC has given accreditation to Magellan Health Services' specialty pharmacy division.

Magellan announced Wednesday that ICORE Healthcare had received the accreditation after meeting the Washington-based organization's standards, developed by its pharmacy advisory committee.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A survey of 1,850 members of the National Community Pharmacists Association released Wednesday has identified two rising problems: 1) pharmacy audits often punish pharmacies severely for trivial issues and 2) because pharmacies are not privy to basic reimbursement methodology prior to signing contracts with health plans, reimbursements are "both lowered arbitrarily and raised belatedly in response to generic drug cost increases."

WASHINGTON — The American Pharmacists Association Foundation has created two new scholarships that will be presented at the APhA’s annual gathering next year.

The George F. Archambault Scholarship, created by the Archambault Foundation, and the Charlie Thomas Scholarship, created by Phi Lambda Sigma, will be presented at the 2012 APhA Annual Meeting and Convention in New Orleans during the Contributors’ Breakfast. Phi Lambda Sigma is the national Pharmacy Leadership Society.

FRISCO, Texas — Assured Pharmacy has signed a lease for its fifth pharmacy, which will be located in Kansas City.

Subject to regulatory approval, the Kansas City pharmacy is anticipated to open during fourth quarter 2011, the specialty pharmacy group said.

WASHINGTON — The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board said that its certification and advanced training programs, developed by the Pharmacy Technician Workforce Coalition of the Triad, support the development of a highly skilled pharmacy technician workforce in North Carolina.

DUBLIN — Shire has filed patent infringement suits against two generic drug makers relating to its attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment.

Shire said it has filed lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Sandoz. Amneal and Sandoz recently filed abbreviated new drug applications with the Food and Drug Administration to market generic Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), an ADHD drug.

NEW YORK — A new line of Hello Kitty household products are arriving this summer, thanks to a new licensing agreement inked by Sanrio and Vandor.

Through the deal, which is effective immediately, Vandor will produce the collection, which includes such items as eco-friendly shopper totes, as well as ceramic and travel mugs that feature Hello Kitty, a Sanrio brand. The collection will range in price from $2.49 to $9.99.