Political Quotes

“I rise today to introduce legislation with my colleague from Minnesota, Senator Tina Smith, to help prevent drug shortages. Our legislation has the support of the American Hospital Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Health- Systems Pharmacists, Premier, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. I often hear from patients, pharmacists, and physicians who find themselves caught in the middle of a drug shortage, with very little certainty of when the problem might be resolved. For example, Wayne is a kidney and bladder cancer patient who called my Portland office about a shortage of BCG. Wayne received several treatments, went into remission, and then was declined additional preventive treatments that his doctor recommended due to this shortage. Wayne sees his physician every 90 days, but he lives with the constant fear that his bladder cancer could return, and the time and uncertainty between his appointments weigh heavily on him. I have also heard from patients living with a rare immunological disorder called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome who were affected by an IV Benadryl--diphenhydramine--shortage, as well as an Epi-pen shortage. One of these patients, a former nurse, spoke about the helplessness her family felt in trying to manage the shortage and was incredulous that shortages like these could be happening in a country like ours.…”