 Health Care |
Health Care |
|
|
House GOP wants to know what's happening with US drug shortages |
As numerous prescription drugs remain in short supply in the U.S., House Republicans have launched a probe into the issue and are demanding answers from the FDA. |
GOP members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Friday sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf asking for documents and a staff-level briefing on his agency's role in mitigating drug shortages. Almost 130 drugs are currently in short supply, according to the FDA, including generic cancer medicines, stimulants like Adderall and antibiotics like amoxicillin.
"The FDA is failing to ensure vitally important pharmaceuticals remain on pharmacy shelves," the GOP letter said.
A spokesperson for the agency said in response on Friday, "The public should rest assured the FDA is working closely with numerous manufacturers and others in the supply chain to understand, mitigate and prevent or reduce the impact of intermittent or reduced availability of certain products."
The spokesperson also emphasized that the agency does not manufacture drugs nor can it compel drugmakers to make or change the distribution of products. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram similarly made this point in a letter issued on Friday that listed steps her agency was making to alleviate the ongoing stimulant shortage.
Milgram said in her letter that 17 out of 18 relevant manufacturers had agreed to increase production of stimulants, though it's unclear when this ramped-up production will impact store shelves.
She also announced policy changes aimed at preventing future shortages, including requiring manufacturers to apply for quota allotments for producing controlled substances on a quarterly basis instead of annually. |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
|
|
How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
|
|
Only half of people eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) receive benefits from it, a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report released Friday has found. Only 6.2 million, or 51 percent, of the 12.1 million Americans eligible for the program in 2021 actually received benefits, according to the report. It also said that children eligible for the program were … |
| |
| Drug manufacturers have agreed to increase their production of stimulant medications like Adderall to help address the ongoing shortage in the U.S., with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) making changes to its quota process. The U.S. is experiencing a shortage of several stimulant drugs, including Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse. The Adderall shortage has gone on for more than a year now, impacting the thousands who rely … |
| |
|
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is pressing schools in his state to address fentanyl overdoses. Youngkin issued an executive order Wednesday calling for the superintendent of public instruction and the Virginia Department of Education to issue guidance requiring parents to be notified within 24 hours of a "school-connected" overdose, alongside other related directives. "The order instructs the issuance of new guidance in coordination … |
| |
|
A MESSAGE FROM KIDNEY CARE ACCESS COALITION |
Dialysis patients and their families are being harmed. |
Employer health plans can now discriminate against patients with kidney failure. Prevent that tragedy. Congress: Restore what's right – protect patients and families. Learn more. |
|
|
Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
| |
Matthew Perry Foundation established for late 'Friends' actor to help people with addiction |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Less than a week after his death, a foundation has been established in the name of Matthew Perry to help people dealing with addiction. "In the spirit of Matthew Perry's enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction, we embark on a journey to honor his legacy by establishing the Matthew … | |
|
Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Iowa's governor opposes abortion — and has the final say on whether Medicaid pays for it (KFF Health News)
- St. Louis city and county health departments issue public health advisory over STIs (KSDK)
- Eleven tuberculosis cases linked to California Grand Casino in Pacheco (KTVU)
|
|
|
Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- States reconsider religious exemptions for vaccinations in child care (KFF Health News)
- New antibiotic shows promise for drug-resistant gonorrhea (NBC News)
- Methadone access becomes flashpoint in fight over opioid crisis (Roll Call)
|
|
|
Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
|
|
The publisher of Mark Meadows's book is suing the former White House chief of staff, arguing in court filings Friday morning that he violated an agreement … Read more |
| An appeals court Friday ordered an administrative stay of a gag order barring former President Trump from targeting witnesses and the prosecutors in … Read more |
|
|
You're all caught up. See you next week! |
1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 |
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment