NACDS Expresses Support for Congressional Agreement on Comprehensive Supply Chain and Compounding Legislation

PRESS RELEASE

September 27, 2013 (Arlington, Va.) — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) today endorsed the agreement reached by the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives on comprehensive supply chain and compounding legislation. In a letter to congressional leaders, NACDS said the agreement makes strong efforts to ensure the health and safety of the American public.

“We believe [the agreement] will help guarantee patient safety through a more secure supply chain and appropriate and improved oversight of compounding activities,” NACDS stated in the letter. “We believe that the reforms contained within the legislation meet the overarching goal of protecting patients while allowing chain pharmacies to operate effectively and efficiently in dispensing needed medications.”

Specifically, NACDS noted that the bill establishes one national standard for supply chain regulation as opposed to an unworkable patchwork of state laws and regulations.

“Chain pharmacy has made significant investments to ensure that the U.S. pharmaceutical distribution system is one of the safest in the world and your legislation will only improve and strengthen the process for all stakeholders,” the letter stated.

In addition, NACDS cited the agreement’s clarification and call for an additional regulatory track for sterile compounding to help safeguard patient safety. “This is a large step in helping avoid tragedies such as last year’s national meningitis outbreak. At the same time, we appreciate the agreement’s protection of traditional compounding practices largely performed by retail pharmacists,” NACDS stated in the letter.

“As the House and Senate debate on the agreement, NACDS will continue to urge lawmakers to pass this legislation so it can be signed into law to improve protections for patients,” NACDS stated.