Jeff Bray put us over the finish line with a $30,000 contribution to the campaign to save cBHT.

Let that sink in.

"It is extraordinary what pharmacy compounders have achieved," said APC CEO Scott Brunner. "In just nine months our members have helped raise more than APC’s entire annual budget — specifically to defend the profession from this threat."

Our corporate partners have been a huge help during the fundraising, but make no mistake: The majority of those funds come from individual compounders — business owners who have banded together to preserve their profession.

"Together we have done the extraordinary — more than any one of us could do alone," said APC Board Chair Shawn Hodges.

And now the campaign is in full swing: Ads have already been appearing in front of members of Congress and their staff, as well as other policymakers in Washington. We’re seeing results. Ads are being clicked and Compounding.com being visited by the people we want to hear from real patients about their experiences with cBHT. And we've only just started to get the message out.

The media campaign will continue into 2022, and possibly beyond that. (It’s up to FDA. We'd prefer this all to end quickly!) But until we hear that cBHT is safe, yes, we’ll have to continue to raise money. For now we can give you a break from the cBHT fundraising emails, though ... for at least a few months. And we’ll apply any funds we receive after today to our 2022 goal.

For the moment, enjoy the victory and keep an eye out as we show you how that money — the money you raised — is working to protect your patients and your practice.

From APC’s President

Turning it up

Michael Blaire, RPh, FIACP
APC President

As my freshman year of college came to a close, I headed into summer vacation with an ambitious goal: to work and save as much money as I could, so that by my birthday (August 15) I could buy the best stereo system possible.

For those of you who do not know what this means, back in the late '70s a stereo system consisted of a turntable and a cassette deck, a tuner (radio), an amplifier, and of course, speakers, all of which varied in price and quality.

I realized that, to get the most bang for my buck, it was the amplifier and the speakers that deserved the most attention. If they weren’t high quality, it wouldn’t matter how good the rest was — so I spent my money accordingly, and "Dark Side of the Moon" never sounded so good.

Your association is very much like a sound system: It receives inputs its membership, and it amplifies those inputs ultimately broadcasting a message that communicates our interests and concerns loudly and clearly.

Nowhere is this more apparent than our recent win: getting the FDA to delay implementation of the interstate-shipment MOU. Membership’s message was clear, that state boards of pharmacy needed more time to sign.

APC took that message, organized the membership to get it where it needed to go, then worked to amplify it with a joint letter to FDA signed by APC, APhA, NASPA, and NCPA. Then it worked with NABP — cranking that message up to 11 while keeping it crystal clear the way good speakers should. The right message, amplified and delivered thanks to a quality system, was received — and, this week, acted upon.

We're seeing this same scenario play out with our cBHT media campaign, as our message is being broadcast to Congress, patients, and practitioners. As you've no doubt seen, we've reached our goal of $1.5 million for this year thanks to some last-minute generosity. This will give us the power we need to amplify our message on cBHT even further.

A lot has changed since 1976 — new music, new sounds — but my amplifier and speakers still work fine and sound great. As the amplifier and speakers for the pharmacy compounding profession, I expect APC to stand the test of time as well.

Michael Blaire is APC’s president, but his day job is vice president for government and regulatory affairs at Wedgewood Pharmacy in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can reach him at mblaire@wedgewoodpharmacy.com.

APC recommends Model Act amendments to NABP

Amazing what you can accomplish in less than a month.

In early July, APC was invited by NABP to offer input on the compounding provisions in the NABP Model Act – the model pharmacy law on which many states base their pharmacy license law. That invitation was the result of conversations APC CEO Scott Brunner had had with NABP CEO Al Carter about the prospect of working together on state-level registration of compounding pharmacies and a more effective and consistent state-level adverse events reporting framework. The kicker: They needed our input within a month.

An APC working group chaired by New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy member David Rochefort got to work, and over a series of meetings developed recommendations for amendments to NABP’s model act that were submitted to NABP last week.

Among several other recommended amendments, we include a provision that would require state boards of pharmacy to gather basic information about compounding pharmacies in their states. In the cover letter to NABP, we also request the appointment of a joint NABP-APC working group to address the issue of adverse event reporting.

You’ll find the members of our APC Model Act Working Group listed in the cover letter. We thank them for their quick and thorough work.

NABP's Model Act Committee is not bound to accept our recommendations, but we're hopeful they'll see the value in what we've offered. We hope you do, too.

FDA delays MOU

On the off chance you missed the big news, FDA — after requests from APC, its association partners, NABP, and individual state boards of pharmacy — has agreed to give states a one-year extension to sign the MOU on interstate shipments of compounded drugs.

The new enforcement date is October 27, 2022. APC will turn its attention now to helping state boards of pharmacy navigate any needed changes to their state laws so they can sign the MOU by the new 2022 deadline.

CCH picks up steam (hint: don’t miss it)

Exhibit space for this year’s Compounders on Capitol Hill has already sold out, and the vendors are excited about seeing you in DC — it’s time for you to get excited for the chance to brief your member of Congress about the challenges facing you compounding practice and patients.

It’s the easiest Compounders on Capitol Hill ever: Fly in November 2, fly out November 3, and in between meet with lawmakers, get three hours of CE, network, visit exhibitors, and more. Register now!

'It Could Have Been Prevented'

Help fight vaccine misinformation — help promote the documentary "Vaccination From The Misinformation Virus" from ACA’s Pharmacists Public Health Initiatives and airing on PBS stations across the country.

PPHI has all the information you need: clips from the film (and even a link to the entire thing), graphics, posters, press releases, and more to share its message.

Patients trust their pharmacists; you can make a difference and help finally put an end to the pandemic.

Two ways to serve compounding

Both APC and the Pharmacy Compounding Foundation are accepting nominations for their boards of directors. Are you ready to step up as a pharmacy leader?

APC’s Board of Directors has six seats available for the 2022 Board of Directors, in districts II, V, VI, plus one at-large seat. Learn the details, and if you've got what it takes, submit your nomination by 11:59pm EDT on Monday, August 23, 2021. Click here for all the information. Got questions? Drop us a note at info@a4pc.org.

The Pharmacy Compounding Foundation has open three board seats, as well as that of treasurer and 2024–26 president. You’ll find all the information you need — available positions, requirements, etc. — at A4PC.org/foundationboard. The deadline is August 31, 2021. If you have questions about the process or the positions, email foundation@a4pc.org.

Now on demand: APC’s three-part COA CE course

Learn everything you and your team need to know about those critical certificates of analysis with these three CE sessions, now available on demand and still only $99 for all three (just $69 for technicians).

Take "Leveraging a COA" from the comfort of your living room (or your favorite hotspot). Get more info and register today at A4PC.org/coa.

Oops, they did it again: A report from Kaiser Health News shows how a NASEM report on medical waste — how taxpayers spend millions every year on medication that's thrown away because the vials it comes in are too large — left out some important info. Specifically, how both NASEM itself and the members of the report committee received a lot of money from the pharmaceutical industry. The report’s "unbiased" conclusion: 'Don’t worry about that waste.' Hmm. Conflicts and bias, you say? Sounds like NASEM’s July 2020 cBHT report, doesn’t it?

Tell FTC about PBMs: The Federal Trade Commission is seeking comment on contracts that may be harmful to fair competition, and our friends at NCPA think PBM practices are a perfect example of that. They've set up a tool that makes it easy to comment to FTC and urge it to investigate those unfair PBM practices that harm small business.

Cite this: Check out APC CEO Scott Brunner’s piece on our push for urgent-use legislation in the July/August issue of IJPC. (And if you don’t receive the journal, this is a great time to subscribe.)

PPE glut: Do you sell or use PPE? You might be able to get a good wholesale deal right now — some suppliers are "stuck with a glut" of the stuff, some of which will never be used or could expire. Start with your current supplier and you might find some great deals to be had … before the next rush.

Podcast appearances: APC has been able to get our message out through a growing number of health-focused podcasts, with both members and experts on 22 shows so far (7 live, 15 recorded) and more than a dozen more scheduled for recording in the next few weeks.

Check out Dr. Carolyn DeLucia on "the Mom Inspired Show" or Jim Hrncir on "Healing American Healthcare" — and you can find more podcast appearances on the Compounding.com blog.

New Facebook ad policy: Online pharmacies planning to advertise on Facebook will have some new requirements, as FDA Law Blog explains. Compounders will likely need to self-identify as an online pharmacy — and receive certification from LegitScript — before applying for Facebook approval to advertise. Read the policy on Facebook for the details.

October 20–23 — PCCA ISTX, Houston

October 26 — 2:00–3:00pm EDT — APC CE: Modern-day Cyber-security Threats for Pharmacies

November 2–3 — Compounders on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

November 5–6 — Quality Compounding Summit (virtual)

November 8–10 — Informa Connect’s Compounding Pharmacy Compliance East In Person, College Park, Md.

November 15–17 — Informa Connect’s Compounding Pharmacy Compliance East Virtual

APC Owner Summit:

• March 24-26, 2022: Hilton Scottsdale Resort; Scottsdale, Ariz.
• March 25-27, 2023: The Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa; Point Clear, Ala.
• April 4-6, 2024: Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, La Jolla, Calif.