GOP governors urge McCarthy and Schumer to address ‘severe’ drug shortage in Congress.
Republican Governors Demand Bipartisan Action on Drug Shortages
Republican governors from 11 states have sent a letter to leaders in Congress, urging them to take bipartisan action on the pervasive drug shortages affecting various medical conditions and sectors of the healthcare industry.
“To date, little has been done to address this crisis,” wrote Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), the primary author of the letter. “States are taking what limited action we can to combat prescription drug shortages, but to create real change, the states need Washington to take action.”
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The Food and Drug Administration currently lists 136 drugs as being in shortage. This includes antibiotics like penicillin and clindamycin, pain medications such as morphine and lidocaine, cancer drugs like methotrexate, and cardiac medication such as atropine and digoxin.
Other critical pharmaceutical supplies, such as sterile water for wound irrigation, sodium chloride for IV fluids, and dextrose for blood sugar stabilization, are also limited.
“These shortages are not new, but they are becoming more frequent and severe,” wrote the governors. “Pharmacists in our states are having to inform patients that critical medicine is unavailable. Nobody should have to experience that kind of worry, especially not in the United States of America.”
The letter, addressed to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), emphasizes the need for bipartisan solutions to the national crisis, particularly in strengthening transparency on pharmaceutical supply chain issues.
“The FDA and medical companies are currently restricted by federal law when it comes to their transparency policies,” wrote the governors. “The American people deserve to know the truth about where their prescription drugs come from and how they are quality tested, especially when those drugs are sourced from overseas.”
The governors, including Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), and Gov. Sarah Sanders (R-AR), among others, also proposed changing regulatory policies to boost domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, reviewing FDA guidance on medication expiration dates, and allowing waivers for purchasing medications from Canada.
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“These practical steps towards greater transparency and flexibility will ensure safety and reliability in our pharmaceutical supply chain,” the governors stated.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the offices of McCarthy, Jeffries, Schumer, and McConnell for comment.
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