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HIGPA President Curtis Rooney recently sent a letter of support to Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), for her introduction—along with Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)— of the Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act, (S. 296). In particular, Rooney thanked the Senator because the proposed legislation will provide the Food and Drug Administration with an improved capacity to prevent drug shortages, including the ability to require early notification from pharmaceutical companies when a factor arises that may result in such a shortage.
According to a release from Senator Klobuchar’s office, these factors may include “changes made to raw material supplies, adjustments to manufacturer production capabilities, and certain business decisions such as mergers, withdrawals, or changes in output.” The bill would also direct the FDA to provide up-to-date public notification of any shortage situation and the actions the agency would take to address them.
HIGPA believes that providing access to timely information regarding drug shortages is “critical in the battle to ensure healthcare provider efficiency and patient safety.”
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