USA: 15 STATES URGE FEDS TO HELP IMPORT LETHAL INJECTION DRUG

May 21, 2012: 15 states urged the U.S. Justice Department to intervene to help import thiopental (brand name Pentothal). Led by Oklahoma officials, the move comes as the 33 states with the death penalty struggle to preserve existing stock or search for legally acceptable chemical alternatives.
A federal judge on March 27 had blocked the importation of Pentothal into states like Arizona, South Carolina, and Georgia saying it was a "misbranded drug and an unapproved drug."
Judge Richard Leon in Washington ordered state corrections departments to return suspected foreign-made thiopental to the Food and Drug Administration.
The states called that a "flawed decision" and now want the FDA to appeal that judge's decision, saying upcoming executions are being undermined. Attorneys General Scott Pruitt in Oklahoma and Marty Jackley in South Dakota are leading the legal effort. (Sources: CNN, 21/05/2012)