[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 17 (Thursday, February 2, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      DRUG SHORTAGE PREVENTION ACT

  (Mr. CARNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the prescription 
drug shortage crisis we have today in America. Across the country, 
patients are being forced to go without the critical medication they 
need to battle diseases and stay healthy. This crisis is hitting cancer 
patients especially hard, with serious shortages of chemotherapy drugs.
  That's why this week I introduced the Drug Shortage Prevention Act 
with Representative Larry Bucshon, my Republican colleague from 
Indiana. Our bill helps FDA work with drug producers and distributors 
to fix some of the regulatory problems that are causing these 
shortages. It also improves communication so doctors and patients have 
the information they need to make smart treatment decisions.
  This is not a partisan issue. Drug shortages affect all of us, and so 
I urge my colleagues to quickly pass this bipartisan legislation. When 
a family gets hit with a diagnosis like cancer, they have enough things 
to worry about. Running out of chemo drugs should not be one of those 
things.

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