By John A. Gilbert, Jr. & Larry K. Houck – A bipartisan group of thirteen congressional representatives penned a letter to Administrator Michele Leonhart last week requesting “clarification, guidance and collaboration” about the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA’s”) efforts to combat prescription drug abuse. While voicing …
By JP Ellison – Traditionally, challenges to a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) immediate suspension order (“ISO”) have been litigated, in the first instance, in federal district courts. This is true even when the physician, pharmacy, distributor, wholesaler or other DEA registrant has taken a “belt and …
By Larry K. Houck – The Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) recently amended its regulations to allow practitioners to issue electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (“EPCS”) in lieu of hardcopy paper prescriptions. See 75 Fed. Reg. 16,236 (March 31, 2010). DEA requires that any electronic prescription …
By Karla L. Palmer & Larry K. Houck – The Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) published a Final Rule on July 30th (77 Fed. Reg. 44,456 (July 30, 2012) placing prostanozol and methasterone into Schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) as anabolic steroids. DEA’s administrative scheduling of prostanozol and …
By Karla L. Palmer & Larry K. Houck – Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Administrator Michele M. Leonhart, accompanied by officials from Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (Richard Weber), Immigration and Customs Office of Homeland Security (James Chaparro), and U.S. Postal Inspections, held a press conference yesterday announcing …
By Larry K. Houck – Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sheldon Whitehorse (D-RI) introduced legislation on July 25, 2012, that would amend the definition of “anabolic steroid” under the Federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) and expressly add twenty-seven additional anabolic steroids to schedule III. The …
Earlier this week, President Obama signed into law the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (“FDASIA”) (usually pronounced “fuh-day-zha”). In addition to reauthorizing and amending several drug and medical device provisions that were scheduled to sunset, FDASIA establishes new user fee statutes for …
By John A. Gilbert, Karla L. Palmer & Larry K. Houck – The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (“FDASIA”) (S. 3187), which is on its way to the President for enactment after the Senate passed the bill by a 92-4 vote, may impact …
By Kurt R. Karst – After a round of congratulatory speeches, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5651, the FDA Reform Act of 2012, as amended, on May 30th by a vote of 387-5. Unlike the U.S. Senate, which passed its version of the bill …
By Kurt R. Karst – After days of debate and a slew of proposed amendments, the U.S. Senate passed S. 3187, the FDA Safety and Innovation Act, on Thursday afternoon by a roll call vote of 96-1. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who cast the lone vote against passage, …
By Larry K. Houck – The Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) has published a Final Rule increasing initial registration and renewal fees for all registrants. 77 Fed. Reg. 15,234 (Mar. 15, 2011). DEA published the applicable Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) on July 6, 2011, which was …
By John A. Gilbert & Larry K. Houck – On February 29, 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), exercising its emergency scheduling authority under 21 U.S.C. § 811(h)(2), extended the temporary scheduling of five synthetic cannabinoids: JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497 and cannabicyclohexanol until August 29, 2012. …
By John A. Gilbert, Jr. & Larry K. Houck – The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) has issued a report focusing on federal agency efforts to educate prescribers and the public about prescription pain reliever abuse and misuse. The report’s title, “Prescription Pain Reliever Abuse: Agencies have …
By James R. Phelps – Over the New Year's Day weekend, The New York Times reported on the shortage of ADHD drugs, with this quote: “‘We have reached out to the D.E.A. and told them that there are shortage issues,’ said Valerie Jensen, associate director of …
By Larry K. Houck – The Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) published its long awaited final rule in the Federal Register today (76 Fed. Reg. 77,330 (Dec. 12, 2011)) placing carisoprodol into schedule IV of the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). Federal scheduling of carisoprodol follows control …
