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COMPLIANCE POLICY GUIDE (CPG)

CPG Sec. 460.500 Prescription Drugs for Ship's Medicine Chests October 1980

Final
Issued by:
Guidance Issuing Office
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

BACKGROUND:

The question of supplying prescription-legend drugs for use on ships has arisen a number of times. It appears highly desirable for the medicine chest aboard a ship to be fully equipped for emergencies even though there may be no physician aboard. Under present methods of communication, the ship's officers can contact a physician by radio and at least get some guidance in the use of medications that may prove lifesaving.

POLICY:

Accordingly, we do not wish to place any obstacles in the way of stocking ships' medicine chests. We have never suggested or recommended any particular procedure that should be followed. The most that we have said is that we think the pharmacist or the firm supplying prescription drugs for use on ships should exercise reasonable care and assure themselves that the prescription drugs are in fact going to a ship's medicine chest and are not being diverted to improper channels.

Issued: 10/1/80


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Submit comments on this guidance document electronically via docket ID: FDA-2013-S-0610 - Specific Electronic Submissions Intended For FDA's Dockets Management Staff (i.e., Citizen Petitions, Draft Proposed Guidance Documents, Variances, and other administrative record submissions)

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