Regulatory and Washington

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy has launched a task force to investigate pharmacological management of medical marijuana, the group said.

Currently, according to NASP, there are no national standards of practice for the management of medical marijuana, though according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, 21 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. Two of those states, Washington and Colorado, have legalized recreational use as well.

WASHINGTON — A project by the philanthropic wing of the American Pharmacists Association to include pharmacists on diabetes care teams in highly affected and underserved communities has produced significant decreases in blood-sugar levels among patients, according to results released Thursday.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new formulation of a drug made by Genentech for rheumatoid arthritis that can be injected into the skin.

Genentech announced the approval of a subcutaneous formulation of Actemra (tocilizumab) in adults for adults with moderate RA who have not found sufficient relief by taking such disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs as methotrexate. Like the intravenous formulation of Actemra, the new version can be used alone or with drugs like methotrexate.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has granted breakthrough therapy designation to an experimental drug made by Merck for hepatitis C, the drug maker said.

NEW YORK — An experimental drug under development by Gilead Sciences for hepatitis C is safe and effective when combined with other treatments, according to a review posted on the Food and Drug Administration's website ahead of an expert panel meeting to take place Friday.

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Air Force master sergeant has been named the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board's Certified Pharmacy Technician of the Year, the PTCB said.

The PTCB announced that master sergeant Jessica Hughes, the non-commissioned officer in charge of pharmacy support at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, in New Jersey, was selected as the PTCB CPhT of the Year. The finalists also included Rico Powell and Linda Henson.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration plans to complete its phase out of inhalers that contain ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons by the end of the year, the agency said Wednesday.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic contraceptive drug made by Famy Care, agency records show.

The agency approved Famy's levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets in the 0.02-mg/0.1-mg strengths.

The drug is a generic version of Aviane-28, made by Teva Women's Health, a division of Israeli drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries that previously went under the name Duramed.