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 from … Continue Reading
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 and … Continue Reading
Marijuana is less dangerous than some substances in other schedules, but it will stay in Schedule I for now, DEA said Thursday. The agency also said that it supports marijuana research, is developing an online application system to apply for Schedule I research registrations, and will allow more manufacturers to grow marijuana for research. … Continue Reading
In 45 days, hydrocodone combination products (“HCPs”) will be Schedule II controlled substances. This means that by early October, manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacies, prescribers, and everyone in the drugs’ supply chains will have to be in compliance with the more restrictive regulatory requirements applicable to Schedule II drugs. In a previous post we discussed whether the … Continue Reading
Possibly in the hopes of catching everyone before they leave for their 4th of July holiday, the DEA published its Final Rule in the Federal Register on July 2nd placing tramadol into Schedule IV effective August 18, 2014. (Tramadol is a centrally acting opioid analgesic first approved for use in the U.S. in 1995 under … Continue Reading
On Thursday, February 27, 2014, the DEA issued a long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking to reschedule hydrocodone combination products as Schedule II controlled substances. In a previous post we questioned whether such a step would actually have an impact on the abuse and diversion of these drugs. DEA relied on the scientific analysis … Continue Reading
On Monday, Japanese drug maker Eisai Inc. filed a lawsuit against the DEA in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Their complaint? Eisai created a drug, called Fycompa, that the FDA approved last October to treat epileptic seizures. Due to FDA’s scheduling recommendation and the drug’s effect on the central nervous system, the DEA … Continue Reading
