Regulatory and Washington

As the industry geared up for this year’s National Association of Chain Drug Stores Annual Meeting, Drug Store News talked with NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson about the hottest issues facing pharmacy and his thoughts on the 2012 presidential election.

Drug Store News: What do you think will be the hot-button issues that will be top of mind at this year’s Annual Meeting?

Bob Loeffler, NACDS chairman and chief administrative officer of H-E-B, reflects on his time as chairman and shares his insights on the issues facing retail pharmacy today and tomorrow.

DSN: Last year, you emphasized the “new normal,” which seemed to refer to the need to proactively position the benefits of retail pharmacy. How has the “new normal” played out?

ATLANTA — Despite achieving measles elimination in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in its "Morbidity and Morality Weekly Report" that a total of 222 measles cases and 17 measles outbreaks were reported to the CDC last year, compared with a median of 60 cases and four outbreaks reported annually during the 2001-2010 period.

In the United States, the incidence of measles has reached a 15-year high, the CDC said.

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — Regulators have approved a new blood-glucose monitoring system made by Bayer HealthCare, the company said.

Bayer announced the Food and Drug Administration's approval of Contour Next EZ, which includes a meter and test strip sensors that the company said would improve accuracy.

Bayer said the system is being introduced on a market-by-market basis and will be available in the United States this summer.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Generic drug maker Watson is challenging the patent protection on a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes.

Watson said Thursday that it had filed with the Food and Drug Administration for approval of a generic version of Depomed's Glumetza (metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets) in the 1,000-mg strength.

LISLE, Ill. — SXC Health Solutions and Catalyst Health Solutions on Wednesday announced a merger agreement under which SXC and Catalyst will combine in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $4.4 billion. The announcement comes some three weeks after Express Scripts and Medco consummated their $29.1 billion merger.

WASHINGTON — A trade organization representing generic drug manufacturers announced Thursday its latest solution to the problem of drug shortages.

WASHINGTON — The Personal Care Products Council and the Safe Cosmetics Alliance has announced support for legislation to strengthen and modernize regulatory oversight of the industry and to create a greater role for the Food and Drug Administration in assessing the safety of personal care products.