Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is awarding $200 million to 64 jurisdictions for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine preparedness, according to a United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) news release. Funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act will provide critical infrastructure support to existing grantees through CDC’s Immunization and Vaccines for Children cooperative agreement. The amount each jurisdiction receives will be determined by a population-based formula.
“By building on close partnerships with the states and other jurisdictions we have worked with for years on vaccination programs, we have the ability to begin distributing and administering safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they are authorized and available,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “With these $200 million in new funds, jurisdictions can develop and update plans for the eventual distribution and administration of the safe and effective vaccines that will help bring this pandemic to an end. The federal government, including experts from CDC and the Department of Defense, is ready to assist where necessary.”
Addiction Risk Information Required on Benzodiazepine Labeling
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring an update to the boxed warning, the agency’s most prominent safety warning, and classwide labeling changes for benzodiazepines to help improve their safe use. According to the agency’s Drug Safety Communication, the labeling changes include adding the risks of abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions.
FDA is also requiring other changes to the Warnings and Precautions, Drug Abuse and Dependence, and Patient Counseling Information sections of the prescribing information for all benzodiazepine products. In addition, the agency is requiring revisions to the existing patient Medication Guides for these medicines to help educate patients and caregivers about these risks.
“While benzodiazepines are important therapies for many Americans, they are also commonly abused and misused, often together with opioid pain relievers and other medicines, alcohol, and illicit drugs,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, MD in a press release. “We are taking measures and requiring new labeling information to help health care professionals and patients better understand that while benzodiazepines have many treatment benefits, they also carry with them an increased risk of abuse, misuse, addiction, and dependence.”
DEA to Hold Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 24
The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2020, from 10 AM to 2 PM. During the event, thousands of collection sites will be available across the country to accept unneeded prescription drugs, including controlled substances, for safe and legal disposal.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Days are held twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DEA’s spring 2020 take back day event was postponed.
Since 2010, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has held 18 National Take Back Days, and has collected and disposed of a total of nearly 12.7 million pounds of these medications as well as vaping devices. For more information about the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, visit takebackday.dea.gov.
In addition to take back day programs, there are many permanent disposal kiosks located throughout the country that may be available to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs during the pandemic. NABP’s Drug Disposal Locator Tool, available on its consumer website, www.safe.pharmacy, is continuously updated with new locations. By entering a zip code or city and state, consumers can find the nearest disposal sites on a map. More than 8,000 disposal sites nationwide can be found within the system. NABP recommends calling ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Darknet Drug Traffickers Arrested in International Law Enforcement Operation
More than 170 Darknet drug traffickers and fraudulent criminals who engaged in illegal sales of prescription drugs and other illicit goods and services across the US and Europe have been arrested as the result of Operation DisrupTor, a coordinated international effort to disrupt opioid trafficking on the Darknet.
Operation DistrupTor led to 121 arrests in the US, 42 in Germany, eight in the Netherlands, four in the United Kingdom, three in Austria, and one in Sweden. Several investigations are still ongoing to identify the individuals behind dark web accounts.
In addition, the operation resulted in the seizure of more than $6.5 million in cash and virtual currencies; approximately 500 kg (approximately 1,100 pounds) of drugs worldwide; 274 kg (approximately 600 pounds) of drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, in the US; and 63 firearms. Darknet vendor accounts were identified and attributed to real individuals selling illicit goods on Darknet market sites.
“Riding the wave of technological advances, criminals attempt to further hide their activities within the dark web through virtual private networks and tails, presenting new challenges to law enforcement in the enduring battle against illegal drugs,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea, in a DEA news release. “Operation DisrupTor demonstrates the ability of DEA and our partners to outpace these digital criminals in this ever-changing domain by implementing innovative ways to identify traffickers attempting to operate anonymously and disrupt these criminal enterprises.”
An extensive, nine-month operation, Operation DisrupTor was a collaborative initiative across members of the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team, which included the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigations, DEA, and numerous other federal agencies. Also aiding the investigations were local and state agencies; Europol and its Dark Web team; and numerous international partners.
NeedyMeds Campaign Promotes Medication Adherence
October is “Talk About Your Medicines Month,” an annual event sponsored by the BeMedWise Program at NeedyMeds that encourages conversations between patients and health care providers about safely using medications and achieving better outcomes. This year’s theme is “Medication Adherence – On track with your meds and your health.”
The campaign’s goal is to empower patients to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks of the medications they are taking, and provide tools they need to talk about their medicines. The Talk About Your Medicines Month website includes resources for health care professionals and other stakeholders, including talking points to use with patients, social media toolkits, and ideas for observing the event.
This year, the Talk About Your Medicines Month event celebrates its 35th year of promoting safe use of medicines by stimulating conversations between consumers and their health care providers about all the types of medicines they take.
NABP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that protects public health by assisting its member boards of pharmacy and offers programs that promote safe pharmacy practices for the benefit of consumers.
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