Records: Distributors push back on proposed Ohio rules

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Companies that distribute drugs are pushing back on stricter regulation in Ohio, protesting what they call a patchwork approach that could lead to confusion and uncertainty, records show.

The state pharmacy board should wait for new federal regulations before enacting state rules, including some that could violate federal law, the companies say in documents obtained by The Associated Press through a records request.

“A ‘patchwork’ system of differing regulations between and among states and the federal government will only lead to more problems,” Gary Cacciatore, vice president of regulatory affairs for Ohio-based Cardinal Health, said in a Feb. 23 letter to the board.

The Food and Drug Administration is planning new rules for drug wholesalers later this summer, while the Drug Enforcement Administration is working on its own regulation for dealing with suspicious drug orders.