“My wholesaler said, my state board of pharmacy said, my PSAO said, my area president said…” We’ve been fielding a lot of questions regarding USP <800> compliance for almost a year now and one thing is for sure, pharmacists are getting mixed messages from various groups.
With so many people getting conflicting answers around when USP <800> goes into effect, who will be enforcing, and even the type of drugs; we wanted to bust the Top 5 Myths.
This is our second part of our series on preparing for USP <800> Hazardous Drugs. On our last podcast, titled: Why will USP <800> Impact My Retail and LTC Pharmacy? We addressed what each pharmacy must do first in preparation for implementing this guideline. How to identify Hazardous Drugs through the NIOSH List, segregations and special handing and finally who is going to enforce these guidelines.
A lot is happening in the pharmacy marketplace, including PBM reform and even massive layoffs. While a lot of this buzz might seem negative, there’s a feeling that positivity is on the way. Still, it’s crunch time for the pharmacy industry with USP <800> on the horizon.
Are you starting to feel that the practice of pharmacy is like the Abbot and Costello sketch “Who’s on First”? At every turn a new regulation is going into place; another merger of an insurer, chain, or healthcare system is occurring; some entity is auditing, inspecting, or reviewing your paperwork, files, and process; and someone new is dipping their hands into your pockets to take a little more of your reimbursements. Even with all those shenanigans going on, the biggest topic in pharmacy outside of DIR fees, is USP <800>. 
