Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4365, the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2016, which amends the Controlled Substances Act and safeguards the dispensing of controlled substances by emergency medical services professionals.

In today's healthcare system, EMS providers often provide the first-- and sometimes only--medical treatment that a patient receives in the event of an emergency. Due to their unique nature, there is routinely a clinical need for EMS providers to administer controlled substance medications in the practice of EMS medicine, ranging from pain narcotics to epinephrine. This response is critical to providing timely and lifesaving care, and, oftentimes, patients cannot survive delays in the delivery of this care.

As the Representative of a rural district, many of my constituents continue to face the consequences of the Drug Enforcement Agency regulations that do not take into account the significant differences between EMS practice and that of other healthcare entities that are covered by the same regulations. H.R. 4365 would ensure that EMS personnel can administer these emergency medications in a timely manner and provide the needed care to patients.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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