With the filing of two class action lawsuits, one against Walgreens and Costco, and one against CVS, in two federal district courts on August 6, pharmacies find themselves in a perplexing situation (yet again). For these suits were filed not by those who suffered from the over-dispensing of opioids, but by chronic pain patients who were denied opioid medication by pharmacies.
Continue Reading Lawsuits Filed Against Retail Chain Pharmacies: The Corresponding Responsibility Catch-22
The Curious Case of Colorado: DEA Sues the BOP
DEA is investigating two pharmacies in Colorado. It doesn’t want those pharmacies to know it is investigating them. But it needs information relating to these pharmacies and the prescriptions they are dispensing to assist with its investigation. So DEA is doing what it does on a regular basis in many states. It is issuing subpoenas for the Colorado Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (“PDMP”) data relevant to these registrants. And Colorado is objecting.
Continue Reading The Curious Case of Colorado: DEA Sues the BOP
States Looking to Tax Opioid Distributions
As the national discussion on opioid abuse continues, state governments are looking to their tax laws as a way of “addressing” the issue. The Kentucky House recently approved a 25 cent per pill tax for every dose sent into the state. The measure now moves to the Kentucky Senate. The state expects to raise $70 million a year from the tax. Kentucky does not, however, intend to use the funds for opioid addiction treatment, but plans to use the tax revenue for unrelated budget needs.
Continue Reading States Looking to Tax Opioid Distributions
Alabama Battle Over Alprazolam is Done. For Now.
The battle is over! For now.
Yesterday, Alabama lawmakers blocked the proposal to move Alprazolam into Schedule II, as well as blocking the other proposed changes described in this series of client updates. See here and here. The pharmacy community in Alabama took an active role in opposing these changes. According to this article
Alabama Continues Efforts to Make Alprazolam a Schedule II Drug
As an update to our January 9, 2017 blog post, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has continued with its efforts to make Alprazolam a Schedule II drug, along with rescheduling all other benzodiazepines from Schedule IV to Schedule III. The rule change would also reschedule pregabalin from Schedule V to Schedule IV
Alprazolam a Schedule II Substance?
Alabama is considering making alprazolam a Schedule II substance under state law. Our colleague, Susan Trujillo, reports on this proposed rule which also proposes up-scheduling other benzodiazepines, pregabalin and zolpidem. DEA registrants are required to follow the stricter of federal law or applicable state law. Up-scheduling of controlled substances at the state level often changes