Morphine sulfate, epinephrine added to FDA’s list of drugs with COVID-19 compounding flexibility

The Food and Drug Administration May 8 expanded the list of drugs covered under newly flexible compounding policies to include two that may be in short supply because of the COVID-19 pandemic: morphine sulfate and epinephrine.

Under the temporary policy, which is to remain in effect for no longer than the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, FDA said it does not intend to take action against pharmacies for compounding drug products that are essentially copies of commercially available drugs or for providing drugs to hospitals without first obtaining patient-specific prescriptions, as long as certain circumstances outlined in the guidance are present and other conditions established in section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are met.