ASSOCIATIONS PARTNER TO INCREASE PHARMACY PRESENCE

The National Community PharmacistsAssociation (NCPA) and the InternationalAcademy of Compounding Pharmacists(IACP) are joining forces to increase thelegislative and regulatory effectivenessof pharmacists who engage in compounding.

"The federal government has showna proclivity for pursuing and adoptingunwarranted and unnecessary policieswhen it comes to pharmacy compoundingas was recently demonstrated bytheir arbitrary ban of estriol in compoundedmedications for bioidenticalhormone replacement therapy," saidBruce T. Roberts, RPh, NCPA executivevice president and chief executiveofficer. "NCPA and IACP are committedto joining forces whenever possible toensure patient access to medicationscreated through compounding is notendangered."

In addition to the estriol battle, bothgroups have been aligned in numerousother areas in the past and are likely tobe in the future. For instance, in 2007,both groups fought back 3 separateattempts in Congress to assume the currentresponsibility of the State Boards ofPharmacies in regulating certain aspectsof pharmacy compounding.