State Legislation

States Tighten Wholesaler Licensure Requirements to Protect Against Counterfeit Drugs
The states continue to make progress in tightening licensure requirements for wholesale drug distributors in an effort to protect their citizens from counterfeit drugs that might otherwise infiltrate the supply chain. So far during the 2007 legislative session, four states have passed legislation giving the Boards of Pharmacy greater authority in the accreditation of wholesale drug distributors. In addition, each of these states requires pedigrees for prescription drugs that leave the normal distribution channel and requires the Board to set a targeted implementation date for track-and-trace technology for tracking prescription drugs through the supply chain.

• Idaho: Senate Bill 1184, signed into law on March 30, gives the Board the authority to recognize an accreditation body to inspect and accredit wholesale distributors.
• North Dakota: House Bill 1455, signed into law on March 29, requires wholesale distributors conducting business in North Dakota to obtain accreditation through the NABP Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors® (VAWD®) program or other Board-approved accreditation process. The legislation takes effect on August 1.
• South Dakota: House Bill 1155, signed into law on March 26, gives the Board the authority to recognize an accreditation body to inspect and accredit wholesale distributors.
• Maryland: House Bill 1030, signed into law on May 8, gives the Board the authority to recognize an accreditation body to inspect and accredit wholesale distributors