Innovations-Magazine-September-2023 - 15

PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS UPDATE
FDA Publishes Final Program
Report About the DSCSA Pilot
Project Program
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
published the Drug Supply Chain Security
Act Pilot Project Program Final Program
Report. From May 2019 through June 2020,
FDA and members of the pharmaceutical
distribution supply chain assessed the
technical capabilities of the supply chain and
identified system attributes that are needed to
implement the Drug Supply Chain Security
Act (DSCSA) requirements. Based on data
from the 20 industry-led pilot programs that
participated, some of the lessons included
determining a method of standardization,
anticipating potential implementation
issues, and establishing strategies to
balance supply chain transparency and
security of the data. More information
is available on FDA's DSCSA page.
Fake Ozempic Marketed on Social
Media in Nine Countries
Ozempic®, a relatively new treatment for
diabetes, has gained extreme popularity among
individuals interested in weight loss. This
demand has created a black market for the
medication, causing counterfeits to appear
online. United Kingdom reporters found
Ozempic for sale on Facebook, and Nigerian
authorities are reporting that fake Ozempic pens
containing insulin were found in nine countries,
some of which include Azerbaijan, Egypt, and
Iraq. Individuals are advised to obtain Ozempic
from a reliable and licensed pharmacist to ensure
safety. Learn more about Ozempic and weight
loss and diabetes drugs on the Partnership for
Safe Medicines (PSM) website.
NABP encourages consumers who are
trying to legitimately purchase Ozempic to
only buy from verified, legitimate websites
that comply with NABP patient safety and
pharmacy practice standards or applicable
laws. Verify before you buy by using the Safe
Site Search Tool at safe.pharmacy.
April Take Back Day Removes 663,000
Pounds of Unneeded Medications
From Homes Across the Country
More than 663,000 pounds (332 tons) of
unneeded medications were collected during
Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's)
biannual National Prescription Drug Take
Back Day. On April 22, 2023, about 5,000
collection sites were set up across the country,
according to DEA's press release.
In addition to disposing of expired and
unneeded medications during DEA's Drug
Take Back Days, consumers can search for
disposal collection sites that are open yearround
using NABP's Drug Disposal Locator
Tool, available on the Association's consumer
website, safe.pharmacy.
be the most cost-effective efforts while
also being associated with reducing
overdose deaths. Researchers conducted
a probabilistic sensitivity analysis on the
effectiveness and cost of five interventions:
emergency department buprenorphine
initiation, contingency management,
psychotherapy, telehealth, and expansion
of hub-and-spoke narcotic treatment
programs. Based on the projections,
contingency management is predicted
to avert 3,500 opioid overdose deaths
over 12 years, more than any other single
intervention strategy. The study can
be found on the JAMA Network website.
Nearly 44 Million Fentanyl Pills
Seized From Cartels During
Operation Last Mile
A year-long national operation lead by DEA
to stop cartels from trafficking counterfeit
medications online and into the United States
seized nearly 44 million fentanyl pills and
more than 6,500 pounds of fentanyl powder.
Operation Last Mile targeted operatives,
associates, and distributors connected to the
Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, which relied on
distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine
across social media platforms, encrypted
communication platforms, and through local
street gangs. Federal officials conducted 1,436
investigations and arrested 3,337 individuals.
Learn more about DEA's Operation Last Mile
on the DEA website.
Five Interventions Aimed at
Increasing Buprenorphine
Treatment Yield Largest Correlation
in Reducing Overdose Deaths
To treat opioid use disorder (OUD),
interventions aimed at increasing
buprenorphine treatment initiation,
duration, and capacity were reported to
Individuals With Disabilities
40% Less Likely to Start
Medication for OUD Than
Individuals Without Disabilities
Individuals with disabilities were 40% less
likely than people without a disability to
initiate medication treatment for OUD
(with variation by disability type) and were
13% less likely to continue treatment for
six months, according to a study published
in JAMA Network Open. A total of 84,728
individuals with OUD between the ages of
18 and 64 participated in the case-control
study. Researchers suggested improving
practitioner enforcement of the Americans
with Disabilities Act and workforce bestpractice
training, as well as addressing
stigma, accessibility, and the need for
accommodations, as methods to improve
OUD treatment for people with disabilities.
New Infographic Outlines Secure
US Drug Supply Chain Process
PSM, along with the American Medical
Women's Association, created an
infographic explaining the process of
the US secure drug supply chain from
pharmaceutical manufacturers and
wholesalers/distributors to dispensers.
Furthermore, the graphic highlights the
importance of the serial number placed on
every package that is manufactured so that
it can be traced to the pharmacy shelf. The
infographic is available on the PSM website
under the Health Professions page.
SEPTEMBER 2023 | 13

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/#:~:text=National%20Prescription%20Drug%20Take%20Back%20Day%20%2D%20October%2028%2C%202023%2C,potential%20for%20abuse%20of%20medications. https://www.fda.gov/media/168307/download?attachment https://safe.pharmacy https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2804986 https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-supply-chain-integrity/drug-supply-chain-security-act-dscsa https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802125?resultClick=1 https://www.safemedicines.org/2023/06/fake-semaglutide.html https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2023/05/05/dea-operation-last-mile-tracks-down-sinaloa-and-jalisco-cartel-associates https://safe.pharmacy https://www.safemedicines.org/2023/04/what-doctors-need-to-know-about-the-secure-drug-supply-chain.html

Innovations-Magazine-September-2023

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