The California Pharmacy Board on Tuesday will consider extending until Jan. 1, 2011, the deadline for implementing an electronic drug tracking system approved by the state Legislature in 2004, the Los Angeles Times reports. The tracking system, which was developed to address concerns about counterfeit pharmaceuticals, is the first law in the U.S. to require an "electronic pedigree" system that would allow drug shipments to be tracked from production through their sale to consumers.

The California Legislature in 2006 moved the deadline for implementation from Jan. 1, 2007, to Jan. 1, 2009 (Lifsher, Los Angeles Times, 3/25). Pharmacy Board Executive Director Virginia Herold said the board is considering another delay because it must "balance public protection with whether or not the technology is ready."

In a letter to the board, pharmaceutical companies, drug wholesalers and retail pharmacy chains wrote that they support the intent of the requirement but need more time to comply (Appleby, USA Today, 3/25). Industry associations have begun a "quiet, coordinated campaign" in favor of the extension, hiring lobbyists and firms that specialize in political strategy, according to the Times (Los Angeles Times, 3/25). The companies say that implementation by the current deadline is not plausible because of the high costs of tracking equipment and confusion over competing technologies that use either bar codes or small electronic transmitters to trace the movement of drug containers (Darce, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3/25). Some drug makers say that even a 2011 deadline could be difficult to meet.

However, state regulators say further delay could endanger public health. Stan Goldenberg, a member of the pharmacy board, said, "In 2011, they'll want 2013. In 2013, they'll want 2015. They'll keep the ball in the air until something bad happens." Goldenberg said, "We are desperately seeking cooperation" from the industry," but "we are not getting their cooperation." Some regulators said that if the two-year delay is approved, drug makers and distributors will be asked to begin voluntarily using electronic tracking systems before that date (Los Angeles Times, 3/25).

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Executive Director Carmen Catizone said that "California is the bellwether" for the nationwide push toward greater drug tracking requirements. She said that if the state "holds the deadline and industry complies, then we'll see other states follow quickly" (USA Today, 3/25).

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