Chris Murphy: “imagine this: A person in a nursing home receives a prescription for a 90-day supply of medication. A few days later…”

“imagine this: A person in a nursing home receives a prescription for a 90-day supply of medication. A few days later, the physician changes that. What happened with those unused drugs? They are thrown away. Millions of Federal and State dollars could be saved by restocking unused prescription drugs that are often thrown away by long-term care facilities when a patient changes prescriptions, passes away, is discharged or transfers. What if these drugs could be restocked and safely used? It has been estimated that restocking unused medications may save as much as $1 billion among the elderly Americans each year and up to $380 million in long-term care facilities alone. The FDA issued an informal opinion allowing the restocking of drugs that meet safety guidelines; however, there is still wide disparity between what the States are doing. This confusion is costing the States and the Federal Government money. Rather than flushing drugs down the drain each month and wasting money, I urge my colleagues to work with me and the States on uniformed standards for restocking drugs and to examine the new savings that can save money, improve lives, and improve health care. For further information, I ask my colleagues to check out my Web site at murphy.house.gov of ways we can continue to save lives and money. ____________________”