Political Quotes

“last week, when I joined my colleagues to recognize Senator Isakson, I mentioned that when Johnny says he is going to get something done, you know it will get done. The bill we are getting ready to pass today in a few hours, the Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act, which he has worked on with Senator Casey, proves it once again. Every day, people head to their local pharmacy or retail store for over-the-counter medications to deal with a cough or a sore throat or a stomach ache. Every day, parents across the country turn to the medicine cabinet after someone comes home with a scrape or a bug bite or poison ivy. Every day, there are countless other health concerns people look to treat quickly, safely, and effectively with over-the- counter drugs. That is why this legislation is so important. The pace of scientific discovery seems to speed up every day, but the over-the-counter monograph system--the system for how these drugs are regulated and brought to market--has not kept pace. The current system has not changed, actually, since 1972, and it sorely needs to. Right now, even after the science has made clear that small changes to the monograph, or recipe, for an over-the-counter drug might make it safer or more effective, it can take years for those changes to be approved under the current outdated process. Even small changes to a drug label, including changes regarding important new safety information, can be held up for years.…”