Press Releases
Latta Tours Cleveland Clinic to Witness Benefits of Repackaging Language
Washington, DC,
July 16, 2012
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Laura Strange
((202) 225-6405)
Tags:
Health Care
Today, Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) toured the Cleveland Clinic to see firsthand how his repackaging language related to drug shortages helps patients receive access to quality care in a timely manner. Latta authored language, which was included in the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act and signed into law this July, to help ease drug shortages in the hospital setting. “It is imperative that patients have the access to the prescriptions they need, when they need it. This language helps ensure that patients across Ohio receive the drugs they need during a drug shortage.” Latta worked with health systems across Ohio on this language to ensure hospitals within a health system are able to manage drug shortages in a timely and efficient way. Prior to this legislation, law did not allow for a hospital to repackage a drug for use in another hospital within their system. “The drug shortage repackaging amendment is an important new tool in the toolkit for hospitals across the country to continue to serve patients in the midst of the national drug shortage,” said Scott Knoer, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Cleveland Clinic. “While Cleveland Clinic has repackaged many drugs over the past year for its main campus hospital to alleviate a shortage, this amendment allows us to extend our supplies by distributing repackaged drugs for all patients across the Cleveland Clinic Health System.” In addition to his work with health systems, Latta collaborated with his colleagues on the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, as well as other members in the Senate, to include language in S. 3187, which reauthorizes the user fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices, as well as establishes user fee programs for generic drugs and biosimilars, and reforms Food and Drug Administration (FDA) programs. “I was pleased to see firsthand how this repackaging language will help address drug shortages and I thank the Cleveland Clinic for allowing me to tour their facilities,” Congressman Latta concluded.
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