Organization accredits 50 compounding pharmacies
| Fifty compounding pharmacies, including some that compound animal drugs, have now earned accreditation from the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board. Eight national pharmacy organizations formed the PCAB in 2004 because they perceived a need for a national standards organization for compounding pharmacies. Among the founders is the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which also operates a program to accredit Internet pharmacies. The PCAB has developed comprehensive standards for the practice of compounding. Compounding pharmacies seeking accreditation must meet strict criteria, including completion of an extensive application, documentation of their written policies, and an on-site inspection of quality-control procedures. This year, the PCAB has reached the milestone of accrediting its 50th compounding pharmacy. The pharmacies have locations in 24 states. More than 100 additional compounding pharmacies have applied for PCAB accreditation. "Patients want to know their compounding pharmacy is high-quality and has been independently verified," said Tom Murry, executive director of the PCAB. "PCAB offers these patients a way to verify that their compounding pharmacy is meeting the highest national standard." A list of the compounding pharmacies that have earned accreditation is available at www.pcab.org. | ||