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Congratulations Wyatt! Please click here for Adobe PDF document.
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Martin Willoughby speaks about the process of becoming a physician dispenser. Please click here for Adobe PDF document.
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Martin Willoughby discusses how important it is for an organization to work as a team. Please click here for Adobe PDF document.
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Keltman Pharmaceuticals is proud to announce the release of Version 2.0 of the NetMed Dispensing Software. Please see below for a portion of the new release enhancements.
- New Online Ordering System Integration
- Upgrade of core system for more flexibility and stability
- New Representative Management Console for easier clinic management in the field
- Patient Medication Tracker to provide Day's Supply alerts
- Patient information throughout organization
- Updated E-Filing system for more speedy data exports to Board of Pharmacy
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LOCAL PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY IS GIVEN THE TOP NOTCH SEAL OF APPROVAL
Keltman Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Flowood, MS, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious VAWD Accreditation as of May, 2008.
VAWD (Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor) status is awarded by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to pharmaceutical wholesalers who meet their stringent requirements.
Applicants for VAWD undergo a lengthy inspection process which includes compliance and policy review, license verification, an onsite survey, and background checks.
Keltman Pharmaceuticals is licensed in nineteen states and is rapidly expanding its operations nationwide. Keltman is one of the few wholesalers in its industry segment to earn this esteemed award. |
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 | James R. Hartzog has joined the company as the registered pharmacist and designated representative. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and his Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College. Hartzog has served as President of the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy and is a practicing attorney. |
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| Erica Sutphin has joined the company as the Office Administrator. She has 8 years of experience; formerly serving at First Baptist Church of Richland & First American Title Insurance Company. | 
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by Martin E. Willoughby, Jr.*
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Physicians face an ever-changing regulatory landscape and downward price pressure on their fees. Some enterprising physicians have joined the growing trend of in-office point of care dispensing. There are various types of physician dispensing programs ranging from limited formulary in-office dispensing to a broad range formulary akin to a pharmacy. Most of these programs involve dispensing repackaged medications versus counting out dosages. The convenience of the repackaged products makes the process manageable for busy physician practices. While there are a number of re-packagers in the marketplace, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has created a Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) accreditation for wholesalers who comply with the NABP’s stringent criteria. Critics of these dispensing programs generally point to the possibility of overutilization. Physician dispensing proponents emphasize patient convenience and compliance, generic utilization, and ancillary revenue generation.
Physicians are able to dispense in approximately 43 states, and the laws and regulations applicable to physician dispensing varies widely from state to state. In Louisiana in 1987, the Board of Medical Examiners promulgated an extensive set of rules applicable to dispensing physicians. The rules require that physicians desiring to dispense must register with the Board. The Board has a detailed application for the physician to complete, and the Board conducts a rigorous review of each applicant. Physicians must be in active practice for three years and be in good standing with all applicable licensure prior to applying. The rules also detail out conditions that would cause a physician to be ineligible including any convictions, denial of licensure, and failure to pay court ordered child support.
The initial application fee is $75, and the Board after approval will issue to the physician a certificate of registration bearing the Dispensing Physician Registration Number. The process usually takes two to three months depending on the physician’s thoroughness in the completion of the application and the timing of the Board meetings.
In the September 20, 2008 issue of the Louisiana Register, the Board amended the rules governing dispensation of medications. The amended rules forbid physicians from dispensing any controlled substance or drugs of concern (Carisoprodol, Dezocine, Nalbuphine and Tramadol) unless the physician practices at a governmental facility or a licensed abuse or addiction treatment facility, or is engaged in a regulated clinical research project or investigational study. The amended rule does permit a dispensing physician to dispense up to a single forty eight hour supply of a single controlled substance or drug of concern to a patient. A physician is permitted to submit a written application to depart from the prohibition, but only for an individually identified patient. The new rule was originally scheduled to be implemented on December 1, 2008.
The Board has received a number of requests for reconsideration of this new rule. Therefore, the Board has postponed the implementation date to January 1, 2009 so it can review the issue again at its December 15, 2008 Board meeting. It is noteworthy that the new rule does not impact the physician’s ability to provide bona fide samples to patients of the “drugs of concern.” Based on trends I have observed from a national perspective, I anticipate that regardless of the outcome of the Board’s reconsideration more Louisiana physicians will be exploring the opportunity to integrate in-office dispensing into their practices in the months and years to come.
*Martin E. Willoughby, Jr. is a practicing attorney and serves as general counsel to Keltman Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a national repackaging company based in Jackson, Mississippi (www.keltman.com). |
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