Consumer Health Alliance for Safe Medication

Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) convened the Consumer Health Alliance for Safe Medication (CHASM), a working group of patient and professional healthcare associations, to ensure patients with respiratory conditions have access to safe and effective medications and are protected from products that may pose unwarranted risks.About AANMA/CHASM (PDF)
(includes member list)

Citizen Petition to FDA

• Summary (PDF)
• Full text (PDF)
• Write a Letter of Support

Patient Information

• “Are There Fakes and Frauds in Your Nebulizer?” (PDF)
• The TRUTH About Illegally Manufactured Nebulizer Medications (PDF)
• Asthma and COPD Medication Chart
  Up-to-date information on FDA-approved brand and generic medications

Prescriber Information

• Physician Liability and Patient Safety Issues: White Paper for Prescribers (PDF)

On the Hill

• Letter to FDA from Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) (May 29, 2007) (PDF)
• Support for Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007 (March 8, 2007) (PDF)
• Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) comments on FDA letter on compounding of inhalation drugs (October 10, 2006) (PDF)
• FDA response to letter from Sen. Charles Grassley (October 2, 2006) (PDF)
• “Grassley praises Medicare action on compounded inhalation drugs,” press release (August 24, 2006 ) (PDF)
• CMS response to letter from Sen. Charles Grassley (August 22, 2006) (PDF)
• Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) Letter to FDA and CMS (July 13, 2006) (PDF)

In The News

• “The Perils of Pseudo-Compounded Medications: Physicians have a major responsibility to ensure the safety of their patients’ medications.” CHEST Physician (November 2007) (PDF 100 kb)
• “FDA to sweep unapproved drugs off the market,” USA Today (January 9, 2007)
• “FDA warns two NJ pharmacies over compounding copies of drugs,” Drug Store News (December 28, 2006)
• “Don’t commit insurance fraud, warns prosecutor,” Drug Topics (December 11, 2006)
• “Hundreds of unapproved drugs sold by prescription: They may be ineffective or even dangerous, but FDA can’t corral them all,” USA Today (September 18, 2006)
• “FDA tells drug firm to stop copying,” The Tampa Tribune (September 12, 2006)
• “Medicare cuts payments for pharmacy-made drugs,” USA Today (August 23, 2006)
• “FDA Warns Three Pharmacies To Stop Mass-Producing Unapproved Inhalation Drugs,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) press release (August 10, 2006)
• “Deaths spur debate about drugs made in pharmacies: Experts seek stricter oversight by hospitals, state regulators, FDA,” USA Today (August 8, 2006)
• “Grassley questions switching of drugs,”
  USA Today (July 13, 2006)
• “Haleyville Pharmacist Goes To Prison For Medicare Fraud,” U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Alabama, press release (July 6, 2006)