GPhA to Senate: Fully funded FDA will benefit healthcare system, expand patient access to affordable drugs

WASHINGTON — It is critical for the Food and Drug Administration and Office of Generic Drugs to be fully funded so that patients can receive access to affordable medicines, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association said Wednesday.

The group called on the Senate to uphold the funds allocated to the FDA by the Senate Committee on Appropriations. GPhA president and CEO Ralph Neas said that cutting funds would affect the sustainability of the U.S. healthcare system, including such programs as Medicare and Medicaid.

“At a time when lawmakers in Washington and across the country are under enormous pressure to cut budgets and reduce spending, we applaud the committee’s foresight in recognizing the importance of a fully funded FDA," Neas said. "Today, the use of safe and effective generic prescription drugs is saving consumers and the U.S. healthcare system more than $3 billion every week. It is absolutely critical that the Senate provide the FDA with the appropriate funding to ensure that patients continue to have access to these medicines at a price they can afford.”