HDMA gives Rx Safety and Healthcare Leadership Award to four Congress members

ARLINGTON, Va. ― HDMA recognized four members of Congress ― Reps. Tom Marino, R-Pa. (pictured left), Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Peter Welch, D-Vt. and Judy Chu, D-Calif. — with the Association’s Rx Safety and Healthcare Leadership Award. The award honors public officials for their leadership and commitment to policies that promote the safe and efficient delivery of medicines to pharmacies, healthcare providers and their patients. 

 

These legislators have demonstrated a commitment to the healthcare supply chain and patient safety by co-sponsoring the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 471). The bill, which was approved on Feb. 4 by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, aims to combat the inappropriate use of prescription medicines by encouraging greater collaboration, communication and transparency between pharmaceutical distributors, other supply chain stakeholders and regulators — especially the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

 

“Reps. Marino, Blackburn, Welch and Chu have demonstrated bipartisan legislative leadership to curb the growth of prescription drug abuse and diversion while also ensuring that millions of legitimate patients have uninterrupted access to their prescription medicines,” stated HDMA president and CEO John Gray (pictured right). “HDMA looks forward to continuing to collaborate with our legislative champions in the House as well as the Senate to secure passage of this legislation in the 114th Congress.” 

 

Awards were announced in conjunction with an Association Hill Day event, as well as HDMA’s Public Policy Council meeting in Washington, D.C.