NCPA, IACP work to strengthen compounding lobby

ALEXANDRIA, Va. The National Community Pharmacists Association and the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists are teaming up to help increase the legislative and regulatory power of compounding pharmacists.

Last year, Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., Pat Roberts, R-Kan. and Richard Burr, R-N.C., attempted to introduce legislation into the Senate that would allow the Food and Drug Administration to intervene as to when a patient required a compounded medication. The bill, the Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007 immediately raised concerns from the NCPA and the IACP, as well as the American Pharmacists Association and other industry groups. The groups argued that the bill would restrict patient access to vital medications. The bill has not yet been approved.

NCPA executive vice president and chief executive officer Bruce Roberts summed up the new partnership when he stated that, “NCPA and IACP are committed to joining forces whenever possible to ensure patient access to medications created through compounding is not endangered.”

One of the medications Roberts was referring to is estriol. The Food and Drug Administration began a policy recently that restricted women’s access to the drug in compounds. The FDA only allows the drug to be used if a physician completes an Investigational New Drug Application. “The federal government has shown a proclivity for pursuing and adopting unwarranted and unnecessary policies when it comes to pharmacy compounding as was recently demonstrated by their arbitrary ban of estriol in compounded medications for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy,” said Roberts.

The two groups plan on working together more as issues arise that deserve their attention. “IACP is pleased to be working even closer with NCPA, as we strongly believe both organizations can compliment each other in many ways. Not only can we work in tandem on issues where there is mutual agreement in the legislative and regulatory arenas, but both organizations have many member companies in common. IACP views this newly strengthened relationship as a truly beneficial one that recognizes you are most effective when more pharmacists join together in our advocacy efforts,” said L.D. King, executive director of IACP.