U.S. compounding pharmacies start to register with FDA

By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A small number of U.S. compounding pharmacies have begun registering with the Food and Drug Administration under new legislation designed to tighten control of the custom medication makers following a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to a pharmacy in Massachusetts. So far, 11 compounding pharmacies have taken up the option under the Drug Quality and Security Act of registering with the FDA, a move they hope will give them a marketing edge. The law signed in November aims to clarify the FDA’s authority to regulate compounding pharmacies after federal regulators were blamed for not acting soon enough to shut down the pharmacy at the center of the meningitis outbreak. Names of the registered facilities were posted on the FDA’s website on Thursday.