Healthcare Distributors Applaud Bipartisan Pharmaceuticals Act

A national association representing primary healthcare distributors supports legislation introduced by Reps. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), the Safeguarding America's Pharmaceuticals Act of 2008 (HR 5839). The bill is described as comprehensive bipartisan legislation that would establish uniform, federal requirements for the tracking and tracing of prescription medicines from the manufacturer, to the distributor, to the pharmacy.

Part of an overall strategy to help combat criminal counterfeiting, the legislation will strengthen current federal laws and regulations and further secure the nation's prescription medicine supply, says the association, the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA).

"We thank Congressmen Buyer and Matheson for their commitment and leadership on this complex issue, and we will continue to work with them on this critically important legislation. We believe this bill provides a strong, nationwide framework to further enhance patient safety, and creates the uniformity needed to systematically deploy compatible track-and-trace technologies across the national supply chain," says HDMA President and CEO John Gray. "HDMA and our primary healthcare distributor members have zero tolerance for criminal counterfeiting, diversion, adulteration and misbranding of prescription medicines. For many years, HDMA has advocated for uniform federal pedigree requirements that enhance the safety of the
nation's prescription medicine supply."

If enacted, HR 5839 would establish rigorous new pedigree requirements that will apply uniformly across all 50 states, HDMA says. States would continue their important role in licensing and enforcement, it adds. The bill would require pedigrees on all prescription medicines sold in the United States. Longer term, the legislation will require manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies put in place systems and technologies that will electronically track and trace individual prescription medicines, the association says.

"HDMA shares the belief with Congressmen Buyer and Matheson that electronically tracking and tracing prescription medicines from the manufacturer, to the distributor, to the pharmacy, holds the most promise for true safety advances in healthcare," says Gray. "Implementing
end-to-end track-and-trace technology solutions that achieve the next level of safety advances is an ambitious undertaking. While progress is being made, now is the time for supply chain partners to work through challenges and explore track-and-trace technologies in a meaningful and coordinated way. HDMA and our primary healthcare distributor members will continue to
lead efforts to put in place these and other innovative new technologies, in coordination with pharmacies and manufacturers who equally share this responsibility under the legislation."

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