Wedgewood can resume drug dispensing after 8-year tussle with DEA

Swedesboro, N.J.

-- Wedgewood Pharmacy announced today that it has settled an eight-year disagreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over the interpretation of certain controlled substance dispensing rules.

Under its agreement with DEA, Wedgewood can resume dispensing controlled substances, but only directly to pet owners, not to veterinarians – a practice DEA argued was considered “distributing” rather than “dispensing.” That interpretation by the DEA was the center of the nearly decade-long debate with Wedgewood, which DEA said could potentially undermine controls put in place to avoid illicit diversion of controlled substances.”

Wedgewood’s position — which was supported by a federal appeals court in 2007 — was that putting controlled substances directly into the hands of animal owners increased the risk of illegal activity. As it stands, veterinarians will need to write the prescription, and it's the responsibility of pet owners to fill the order through the compounding pharmacy. While the disagreement still stands, Wedgewood says it’s ready to move on with the DEA’s interpretation.

“While we continue to disagree with the DEA, as a practical matter our disagreement has deprived our customers of access to controlled substances through us for more than eight years,” says Wedgewood’s President and Chief Executive Officer George J. Malmberg, R.Ph., FACA, FACVP. “So to avoid further inconvenience to our customers, and the uncertainty and costs of continued litigation, we have agreed to put the dispute behind is and act according to the DEA’s interpretation.”

But complying with the DEA’s interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act will require some system changes from Wedgewood, so the company couldn’t say at press time when it would resume dispensing.