GPhA Commends White House Efforts to Address Drug Shortages
Reaffirms Call for Unprecedented Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
WASHINGTON, D.C. (OCT. 31, 2011) - The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) today commended President Obama for his commitment to reducing current shortages of medically necessary drugs, and reaffirmed its pledge to work with all stakeholders to ensure that patients have access to their needed medications.
"We applaud the President's initiative in issuing this Executive Order, and believe that through continued multi-stakeholder collaboration we can put a stop to this problem," Ralph G. Neas, President and CEO of GPhA said. "No patient should ever be denied treatment because the needed medicine is in short supply. We are committed to working with the President, and all stakeholders, to ensure that that lifesaving generic medications are available for all patients who rely on them."
The generic pharmaceutical industry has taken a lead role in efforts to eliminate existing shortages and minimize the potential for future shortages. Manufacturers are dedicated to working with health care providers, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prioritize the supply of medically necessary drugs with an eye towards maximizing capacity and redundancies for these needed medicines.
In addition, generic manufacturers have pledged to work with the FDA and health care providers to formalize the process for not only manufacturers, but also others in the supply chain, to proactively report drug shortages to the FDA's drug shortage staff, as many now do voluntarily.
"The current shortage of medically necessary drugs is a crisis for patients in need of treatment and a complex problem for health care providers and the suppliers of these critical medicines," Neas said. "Dramatically reducing drug shortages, however, is not out of reach. The generic industry is resolute in its commitment to work with all components of the supply and provider network to dramatically decrease current shortages and mitigate factors that could contribute to future shortages. For a lack of supply of a medically necessary drug can be devastating, even if it impacts only one patient."
GPhA represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals, manufacturers and distributors of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic industry. Generic pharmaceuticals fill 78 percent of the prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. but consume just 25 percent of the total drug spending. Additional information is available at gphaonline.org.
Contact: David Belian 202-249-7124