Media Advisory: Rooney to Attend Press Conference on Drug Shortages
Joins Rep. DeGette, American Hospital Association and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (FL-16) tomorrow will join Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rich Umbdenstock, President and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA), and Kasey Thompson, Vice President of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), to discuss the growing number of prescription drug shortages. Reps. Rooney and DeGette are original sponsors of the “Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act,” a bipartisan bill to improve patient safety by reducing shortages of life-saving drugs.
“Across the country, hospitals and physicians are facing critical shortages of common, life-saving drugs, like anesthetics, pain medications and cancer therapies,” Rooney said. “No patient should suffer because of a drug shortage that could have been prevented.”
According to the Food and Drug Administration, drug shortages have nearly tripled since 2005 and hit a record high of 178 last year, presenting serious challenges to hospitals that provide care for critically ill patients. Many of these drugs play a critical role in life-saving treatments, including cancer therapies, widely used anesthetics, antimicrobials, and pain medication.
WHAT: Reps. Rooney and DeGette will discuss their bill to combat drug shortages, and the AHA and ASHP will unveil survey data from their members on the impact of shortages on hospitals and the patients they care for.
WHO: Representative Tom Rooney (FL-16)
Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO)
Rich Umbdenstock, AHA President and CEO
Kasey Thompson, Pharm.D., ASHP vice president, office of policy planning and communications
WHERE: Longworth House Office Building Room 1300
WHEN: Tuesday, July 12 at 9:45 a.m.
More information on the Rooney-DeGette bill is available HERE.
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