[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 15 (Wednesday, February 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         REMOVING FINANCIAL BURDENS PLACED ON FAMILY PHARMACIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues' support 
for legislation I am introducing with Senator Dorgan to eliminate the 
regulatory and financial burdens placed on America's family pharmacies 
by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
  The Balanced Budget Act contained a provision that required all 
dealers of durable medical equipment for Medicare to obtain a $50,000 
surety bond. Unfortunately, pharmacists were inadvertently included in 
the surety bond requirement, because some of them do sell small amounts 
of durable medical equipment such as crutches and other items.
  My bill will exempt any licensed pharmacist who owns his or her own 
business from the bond requirement. It is an unnecessary and costly 
burden for these professionals, who are already struggling to keep 
their businesses afloat, particularly in rural areas.
  America's family pharmacist is already under siege by drug companies 
who set prices on pharmaceutical prices. These companies offer reduced 
or rock-bottom prices to HMOs and other purchasing groups, but do not 
offer the same discounts to a family pharmacist.
  Even if the terms of a recent court settlement are met by the 
pharmaceutical companies, the family pharmacist in rural areas will 
likely still not have full access to these discounts.
  Who is hurt most by high drug prices? Our pharmacists, increasing 
numbers of whom are forced to shut down their family-owned businesses 
in rural areas, and, most important, their patients. It is indeed a 
crime that here in the world's richest Nation, our seniors must choose 
between buying groceries and buying prescription drugs.
  This legislation will eliminate the costly burden placed upon 
pharmacies by the Balanced Budget Act, but it will not eliminate the 
costly burden of the high drug prices that continue to grow by leaps 
and bounds. I intend to address that issue at a later date.

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