Massachusetts Lawmakers Pass Compounding Pharmacy Reform Bill

Massachusetts lawmakers have agreed on a bill to overhaul the oversight of compounding pharmacies.

The bill comes after a meningitis  outbreak tied to a now-closed Framingham compounding pharmacy - New England Compounding Center - lead to 64 deaths and hundreds of others sick.

The Commonwealth's bill reorganizes the board that oversees the pharmacies and requires it to participate in any national reporting systems on pharmacies, pharmacists and technicians. It also requires board inspectors be trained in sterile compounding and non-sterile compounding practices. Compounding pharmacies typically custom-mix medications, reported the Boston Herald.

The legislation authorizes the board to levy fines against a pharmacy of up to $25,000 per violation, and up to $1,000 for each day that a violation continues after the date it should have been corrected, reported CBS TV.

The bill also lets the board suspend the licenses of pharmacies or pharmacists if regulators have "reasonable concern for the health, safety or welfare of the public."

The bill now heads to Gov. Deval Patrick to sign into law.