[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 153 (Thursday, September 25, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RYAN HAIGHT ONLINE PHARMACY CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 2008

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                               speech of

                         HON. MICHELE BACHMANN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2008

  Mrs. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House considered and 
passed H.R. 6353, the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection 
Act. This legislation will ensure that purchasers of potentially 
dangerous prescription drugs are evaluated face-to-face by a physician, 
removing the potentially dangerous anonymity inherent in the current 
federal regulations which allow prescriptions to be written based on a 
telephone call or online questionnaire.
  To be sure, online pharmaceuticals makes it possible for millions of 
Americans to conveniently and affordably access the prescription 
medications on which they rely. However, the online system of 
prescribing and dispensing medication has been accompanied by a 
disturbing increase in the level of harm and death due to prescription 
drugs. This increase is, in large part, a result of the current federal 
guidelines that allow online pharmacies to write prescriptions for 
patients based on a telephone conversation with a physician or a simple 
online questionnaire, empowering patients to diagnose and prescribe for 
themselves virtually any drug and dosage they desire. Without the 
necessary information for adequate oversight by a qualified physician, 
many people have been exposed to dangerous and, all too often, deadly 
medications.
  In response, many states have enacted laws requiring that individuals 
seeking access to powerful medications such as Vicoden and Xanax be 
evaluated in person before being prescribed a controlled substance. For 
example, in my state of Minnesota, the legislature and governor have 
recently worked together to establish Justin's Law. Named for a vibrant 
young man whose bright future was cut short by an overdose of 
prescription painkillers obtained through an internet pharmacy without 
a physician visit, Justin's Law has already been implemented to hold 
illicit online pharmacies accountable.
  That said, the lives affected by online pharmacies are not limited to 
a particular state, and moreover, the interstate nature of the commerce 
conducted via the internet warrants that legislation be enacted at the 
federal level to help protect online consumers. As a result, I applaud 
my colleague, Congressman Stupak for introducing H.R. 6353. This 
legislation, of which I am a cosponsor, will help stem the dangerous 
tide of controlled substances being dispensed without adequate 
supervision.

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