OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015

Floor Speech

Date: April 21, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Food Processing and Sales Drugs

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 471, the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015.

Millions of Americans rely on prescription drugs to treat and cure illnesses and improve the overall quality of their lives. Unfortunately, we also have a significant problem in this country with abuse of prescription drugs.

H.R. 471 would help drug distributors, pharmacies, and others work with DEA to achieve the difficult balance between keeping controlled substance prescription drugs away from drug abusers, but not from patients who urgently need them.

It would achieve this goal by making several changes to the Controlled Substances Act. It would provide definitions for the phrases ``factors as may be relevant to and consistent with the public health and safety'' and ``imminent danger to the public health or safety.'' It would require DEA to provide registrants an opportunity to submit an action plan to correct any violations for which DEA is considering revoking or suspending their controlled substance registration. And it would require FDA, in consultation with DEA, to submit a report one year after enactment to Congress on obstacles to legitimate patient access to controlled substances and collaborative efforts to benefit patients and prevent abuse of these substances.

I want to thank Representatives BLACKBURN, MARINO, WELCH and CHU for introducing this bipartisan legislation and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

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