Need to get rid of gray market salespeople? Question their licensing! Leanne first brought this to my attention about one specific company (see Pharmagen??? thread). Since then, I've been checking on all the reps that call or email me and have found that only about 20% are actually licensed with the state/agency they say they are.
Here's a few things I've learned in asking a few question of these reps:
-Quite a few were licensed in the past and have no current license.
-One website that was for a "compounding company" actually had the statement at the bottom of the page that said "the FDA has not evaluated these statements..." even though the company claimed that they followed FDA regulations.
-I have yet to see any company I've questioned actually send me a copy of any license - only the legitimate companies have given me copies up front before any transaction was made.
-VAWD accreditation is good for 3 years, but they aren't taken off the website when the accreditation is expired. Be sure to check the date of the last accreditation.
-The FDA doesn't actually license wholesalers, states do. If you type in a search on the FDA website "FDA licensing" it will take you to a page of all the states' board of professional licensing.
-When looking up a company, make sure you select that you are looking for a Wholesaler of Drugs/Pharmaceuticals. Some states don't give a pharmacy license to these companies, just a wholesaler license.
-A great website doesn't mean a reputable company.
-When looking up a license, make sure you have the right company in the right state. Many companies that are attempting to come across as legitimate will choose names very close to a legitimate/reputable company in hopes that people will miss it. Using abbreviations is another form of doing this.
To be fair, there are companies out there that are properly licensed and legitimate. These companies are up front about their licensing and make it easy to see/share this information.
Hope this helps some people! It can be really overwhelming getting so many phone calls and emails from so many companies that look legitimate.
Hi Emily
Thank you for the post. Great information.
Have you heard anything with regards to the different licensing requirements for compounding manufactures based on the state that you purchase in. My hospital is in Colorado and we have very strick licensing requirments. With what occured at NECC I have heard that their may be a change in some of the states licencing requirements. Have you heard anything?
Cathy Orlando
