Political Quotes

“I rise today to highlight legislation I am introducing with the senior Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, to address prescription drug shortages. We rely on prescription drugs to battle infectious diseases like SARS-CoV-2, for the treatment of cancer and hormonal disorders and in countless other facets of modern medicine. When drug shortages, which are unforeseen supply disruptions, occur, healthcare teams must scramble to develop new plans of care because the optimal treatment is no longer available. The Drug Shortages Shelf Life Extension Act will help tackle drug shortages by enabling the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, to extend the shelf of certain drugs at risk of shortage in a safe fashion. Prescription drug shortages are a persistent problem, leading to diminished access to vital medications and potentially catastrophic outcomes for patients. FDA wrote in its 2019 Drug Shortages Task Force Report that discarding drugs if they exceed an unnecessarily short expiration date can exacerbate drug shortages. Essentially, the shelf life for certain drugs can be safely extended, and I support empowering authorities to do so to prevent drug shortages. Last year, I introduced the Drug Shortages Prevention & Quality Improvement Act. The legislation would address some of the main causes of drug shortages and provide solutions to mitigate their effects.…”