ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In a press statement, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores rebuked an op-ed column published in Thursday’s New York Times that suggested the best way to protect public safety against stolen drugs is for the U.S. Food and Federal Drug Administration to mandate the industry implement track-and-trace technology.
“Katherine Eban and J. Aaron Graham’s call for mandatory use of track-and-trace technology for prescription drugs (“Are You Buying Illegal Drugs?” Op-Ed, April 1) ignores the greatest threat to patients related to stolen medications: the purchase of these products via unregulated, rogue websites not affiliated with state-licensed pharmacies,” stated Steven C. Anderson, NACDS president and chief executive officer, in a letter to the editor.
He added that safety is pharmacy’s highest priority, and pharmacies’ purchasing of medications directly from manufacturers and from reputable and licensed wholesalers is effective in placing legitimate products on store shelves.
According to Anderson, pharmacy companies have taken extensive and uncompromising steps in this regard.
“Track-and-trace technology simply has not developed to the point that it is ready for across-the-board deployment, and thus a mandate would not be effective in protecting patients,” he said.
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