[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1149 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1149

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study of the 
 accuracy of expiration dates on certain prescription drugs maintained 
                 by the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 8, 2005

 Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida introduced the following bill; which 
           was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study of the 
 accuracy of expiration dates on certain prescription drugs maintained 
                 by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. STUDY OF EXPIRATION DATES ON CERTAIN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS 
              MAINTAINED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Study Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a study of each candidate drug to--
            (1) evaluate the accuracy of the expiration date for such 
        drug;
            (2) evaluate the feasibility of extending such expiration 
        date; and
            (3) if such extension is feasible, recommend the period of 
        such extension.
    (b) Assistance From the FDA.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall conduct the study required under subsection (a) in consultation 
with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, who shall make available to 
the Secretary such records, and otherwise provide such assistance, as 
the Secretary may require for purposes of this section.
    (c) Report.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 
Congress a report providing the results of the study required under 
subsection (a), including an estimate of the cost savings that may be 
achieved by implementing the recommendations of the study. Such report 
shall be submitted not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (d) Candidate Drug Defined.--The term ``candidate drug'' means each 
pharmaceutical product--
            (1) that is maintained in stock by the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs;
            (2) that is subject to section 503(b)(1) of the Federal 
        Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 353(b)(1));
            (3) for which the Department paid $3,000 or more for the 
        stock of such product maintained by the Department; and
            (4) the stock of which has an expiration date that is not 
        less than 12 months or more than 18 months before the date on 
        which the product is to be studied under subsection (a).
                                 <all>