Drug_Abuse | NACDS

“National Curiosity” Also Needed on Opioid Crisis

sanderson2017-08-01T13:59:08-04:00Categories: Article|Tags: DEA, Drug_Abuse|

You may have seen the news this week about an interim report of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The Commission – chaired by Governor Chris Christie – included among its initial recommendations one that it describes as “first and most urgent”: declaring a national emergency on this issue. The Commission explained that bringing this type of intensity to the effort would have specific ramifications for funding and resource allocation, as well as awakening every American to the risks associated with drug abuse and addiction.

Pharmacy – including actions of NACDS specifically – maintains a long-standing commitment to developing and implementing solutions on this extremely challenging topic. In July, NACDS submitted comments to the Commission that describe this commitment, as well as specific views on new opportunities to improve the nation’s approach to addiction, abuse and diversion.

This is a topic on which NACDS has been engaged for a long time, and with tremendous concern for patients and for the pharmacy teams who serve them in every neighborhood across the country. There is often talk of the moment of truth that occurs at a pharmacy, when an individual arrives to have a prescription filled for a controlled substance. At that moment of truth, pharmacies and pharmacists often are caught in the middle of highly complex issues related to patient care, healthcare access, addiction, abuse, diversion.

In May 2015, an NACDS op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times put it this way: “The pharmacy counter … is where the patient ultimately is receiving either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ as to whether the prescription will be filled. However, pursuing a zero tolerance for drug abuse and a 100-percent commitment to patient care — at the same time — requires collaboration that reaches far beyond that interaction between a patient and a pharmacist.”

Whatever policy changes are ultimately made – with the active engagement of the pharmacy community and with diverse stakeholders – we are urging that they be pursued with a new level of national curiosity that gets to the essence of these complex issues like never before. It has been said that one needs to ask [ READ MORE ]

NACDS Applauds DEA Guidance on Forwarding of Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances Key aspect of NACDS Regulatory Reform Initiative will benefit patients and enhance use of e-prescribing to prevent drug abuse and diversion

admin2017-07-21T07:42:59-04:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: DEA, Drug_Abuse|

NACDS applauds guidance provided this week by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that addresses a priority of NACDS’ Regulatory Reform Initiative, and that simultaneously benefits patient care and the prevention of drug abuse and diversion.

NACDS Submits Comments to President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis Describes pharmacy as working partner for solutions

admin2017-07-10T11:57:54-04:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: DEA, Drug_Abuse, FDA|

NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE, submitted official comments to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, which reflect NACDS’ commitment to help address prescription drug abuse, addiction and proper access.

CDC: Pharmacists Are Front Line of Defense against Opioid Abuse

admin2016-10-27T15:19:19-04:00Categories: Article|Tags: CDC, Drug_Abuse, Pharmacy_Value|

In an ongoing effort to prevent prescription opioid abuse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a brochure for pharmacists, “Pharmacists: On the Front Lines—Addressing Prescription Opioid Abuse and Overdose.”

…the CDC is urging pharmacists to fully utilize the vital role they play on the front lines of healthcare delivery…

As one of the most accessible healthcare providers in neighborhoods across the nation, the CDC is urging pharmacists to fully utilize the vital role they play on the front lines of healthcare delivery to communicate with patients to help prevent prescription drug abuse.

The brochure provides helpful prompts to start conversations with patients about their medications and covers ways to recognize patterns which could indicate possible opioid abuse. It also encourages a collaborative approach between pharmacists and prescribers to optimize pain management, while preventing opioid abuse, and emphasizes educating patients about the safe use of opioids, including proper use, side effects and refill requirements.

PA and SC Members: DEA Diversion Conferences Set for August

admin2016-07-27T12:05:08-04:00Categories: Article|Tags: DEA, Drug_Abuse|

The Liaison and Policy Section of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has asked NACDS to share with member companies the news of Pharmacy Diversion Awareness Conferences scheduled for August. Two options – August 15 or 16 – are available in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and one date of August 27 has been set for Harrisburg, Pa.

The conferences are open to all pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and loss prevention personnel registered in South Carolina and Pennsylvania, respectively.

Download South Carolina Information

Download Pennsylvania Information

More information about the South Carolina conference is available through DEA Program Analyst Jessica Adamo at (202) 307-9443 and more information about the Pennsylvania conference is available through DEA Program Analyst Chantay Cunningham at (202) 598-8196.

Congress Continues to Seek Solutions on Opioid Abuse

admin2016-06-23T10:23:10-04:00Categories: Article|Tags: Drug_Abuse|

Congress continues measures to address the nation’s opioid abuse epidemic. Yesterday, during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Hearing on Oversight of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), senior member and former chairman of the Committee Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) asked DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg what the DEA is doing to implement NACDS-backed legislation, S. 483, the Ensuring Patient Access and Drug Enforcement Act, which was signed into law on April 19, 2016.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Hatch, would increase collaboration among health and enforcement authorities to achieve drug abuse solutions that maintain patients’ legitimate access to medications. Rosenbery said work on implementing the legislation is ongoing.

In another development, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced S. 3075, the Addiction Prevention and Responsible Opioid Practices Act on June 16. The legislation includes a wide-ranging group of initiatives to reduce the amount of pain medications on the market, and improve prescribing practices. It includes a provision to implement a national drug disposal program, but does not mandate pharmacy participation. The legislation would also encourage improvements to prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), but does not require pharmacy consultation of a PDMP for controlled substances.

In advance of the introduction of the legislation, NACDS met with Sen. Durbin’s staff to express concerns about mandatory take back programs, and requiring pharmacists to consult PDMPs. NACDS believes pharmacists should use their professional judgment in this regard.

Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) Discusses Provider Status, Opioid Abuse on Rite Aid Pharmacy Tour in Lancaster, N.Y.

admin2016-06-08T09:58:46-04:00Categories: Photo|Tags: Drug_Abuse, Provider_Status, RxIMPACT|

House Energy and Commerce Committee Member Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) participated in an NACDS RxIMPACT pharmacy tour of a Rite Aid in Lancaster, N.Y., on Monday. Photo: Rep. Chris Collins

Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) participated in an NACDS RxIMPACT pharmacy tour of a Rite Aid in Lancaster, N.Y., on Monday. The congressman asked the pharmacy team several questions about the opioid epidemic, which he knows a lot about as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Collins recently released a statement lauding the House passage of 18 pieces of legislation to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic during the week of May 9, 11 of which were passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Collins said, “There is no silver bullet to fix this issue, but the bipartisan legislative items passed this week will help communities across America educate individuals about the dangers of opioid abuse and work to eradicate this severe epidemic.”

The pharmacy team also discussed NACDS-backed legislation, H.R. 592/S. 314, the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act—which would increase access to pharmacist-provided services to underserved Medicare beneficiaries, within pharmacists’ scope of practice. A member of the pharmacy team said, “We greatly enjoyed meeting with our elected official and having this forum to voice our opinions.”

NACDS Continues Advocacy on Addiction, Recovery Bill

admin2016-05-26T11:23:30-04:00Categories: Article|Tags: Drug_Abuse|

NACDS continues to advocate in anticipation of the House and Senate conference on S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). The legislation would adjust existing authorizations and programs to provide a series of resources and incentives to help healthcare providers, law enforcement officials and state and local governments to expand drug treatment, prevention and recovery efforts.

The House version does not contain the provision in the Senate legislation that requires pharmacists to check their prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) before filling every prescription for a controlled substance to be eligible for federal grant funding. NACDS RxIMPACT launched a grasstops campaign this week encouraging NACDS member companies with store operations represented by 46 House and 20 Senate leaders to build support for the House position in the conference.

NACDS-Backed Drug Abuse, Access Bill Enacted President signs bill consistent with pharmacy’s “100-percent commitment to patient care and zero tolerance for abuse”

admin2016-04-19T10:54:47-04:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: DEA, Drug_Abuse, HHS|

Arlington, Va. – President Barack Obama today signed into law the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016.

This new law is one part of the culture change that needs to occur to make possible a nuanced approach to this complex issue.

The new law, advocated by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), seeks to advance collaboration among health and enforcement authorities to achieve drug abuse solutions that maintain patients’ legitimate access to medications.

NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE, today called the bill’s enactment a positive step forward for those whose lives have been substantially affected by prescription drug abuse and by lack of access to needed medications. He described the broad-based and consistent effort to urge meaningful dialogue and action on these issues.

“To help raise awareness of the complexities surrounding these problems, NACDS and the U.S. Pain Foundation co-wrote an op-ed that was published last year in The Tampa Tribune,” he said. “That op-ed started with the frank realities of the situation: ‘To hear of one family devastated by prescription drug abuse is to receive motivation to tackle the problem. Yet to hear a story of a suffering patient who cannot receive a needed pain medication serves as equal motivation to protect access. Both of these scenarios need to be addressed — simultaneously.’

“This new law is one part of the culture change that needs to occur to make possible a nuanced approach to this complex issue. We appreciate the President’s signing this bill into law today. We thank for their leadership in the Congress: Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA), House Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). And we thank those in the patient advocacy community, the enforcement community, and other allies in healthcare for making possible this important step toward consensus.”

NACDS has noted that the new law is highly consistent with public attitudes. In an opinion study commissioned by NACDS last summer, likely voters who are engaged and aware when it [ READ MORE ]

The Prescription Drug Abuse/Access Bill is Almost Law

admin2016-04-14T09:46:50-04:00Categories: Article|Tags: DEA, Drug_Abuse|

In a significant step forward on an issue NACDS has long supported, the House of Representatives passed the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 on April 12.

The legislation takes into account the complexities inherent in the issue, and promotes collaboration among government agencies and healthcare stakeholders…

The legislation takes into account the complexities inherent in the issue, and promotes collaboration among government agencies and healthcare stakeholders to ensure patients have access to legitimately needed drugs, while also preventing diversion and abuse of prescription drugs

The Senate passed S. 483 on March 17, and the House previously passed a similar version in April 2015. The legislation will now head to President Obama’s desk for his consideration in the next step before enactment.

Here’s a quick summary of some of NACDS’ efforts on this important issue:

Immediately following passage of the legislation, NACDS issued a press release with a timeline that reflects key steps in the legislation’s journey to becoming enacted.
As part of a concerted effort last year to heighten media awareness about the issue in Florida, The Tampa Tribune published a joint NACDS and U.S. Pain Foundation op-ed that stated, “…the complex and intertwined issues of prescription drug abuse and access are not receiving the comprehensive approach that they deserve and require.”
Showing the often untold story of patients who have difficulty accessing their medications, NACDS collaborated with Drug Store News on creating a microsite comprised of personal stories of people living with pain. In an article on NACDS.org, U.S. Pain Foundation’s president said, “…working together is a huge part of anybody’s pain journey, and the pharmacist is part of our team.”
For a more comprehensive look—and additional perspective—on NACDS’ multifaceted engagement on this issue, access the Drug_Abuse tag on NACDS.org.

NACDS will continue advocacy on this challenging issue and discuss this latest promising development with the NACDS Board of Directors at the NACDS Annual Meeting this weekend.

National Association of Chain Drug StoresPharmacies. The face of neighborhood healthcare.