Drug Industry Pushes for Delay of Electronic Tag Law
On Wednesday, lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry came to Sacramento to push for the delay of a state law that requires electronic tags on drugs to track medications from the manufacturer to the pharmacy, according to KPCC's "The California Report."
The law, set to take effect in January 2009, is aimed at preventing counterfeit drugs from ending up in California pharmacies.
Pharmaceutical companies and drug wholesalers maintain the law will disrupt the global supply chain. The industry also is reluctant to invest in the technology without assurance that there will be global standards for the electronic tags.
The segment includes comments from:
- Virginia Herold, head of the California Board of Pharmacy; and
- A spokesperson for the biotechnology industry's lobbying group (Varney, "The California Report," KPCC, 1/23).
Audio of the complete program is available online. This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.