Passage of prescription drug tracking and tracing legislation would be premature

Alexandria, Va. – Today the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) offered a statement on prescription drug tracking proposals for hearings by the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Both hearings addressed concerns with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and related safety measures.

As Congress considers such measures, NACDS is sharing its position and recommendations on supply chain safety. The statement highlights the need for Congress to carefully examine drug-tracking proposals:

“The United States prescription drug distribution system is one of the safest in the world…Chain pharmacy understands the need to maintain the integrity of this highly reliable system and is committed to working with lawmakers to strengthen existing safeguards.

“We urge Congress to carefully examine all proposals and not prematurely mandate technologies that are still under development. Efforts to enhance the security of the drug supply chain must be feasible, practical, reliable, and cost-effective.”

For those concerned about the recall of counterfeit products, FDA already has an efficient, extensive, and quick recall process. When FDA orders a recall, notices are immediately sent out to wholesalers, pharmacies and other customers to pull the affected product from their inventory. Unlike other proposals, the NACDS approach would prevent the introduction of counterfeit drugs into the prescription drug supply chain through proactive steps, not focus on tracking after the fact when the counterfeit drug is already in the system.