Legislation led by U.S. Reps. Tom Marino (R-PA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to help curb prescription drug diversion received final congressional approval on Tuesday.
The House of Representatives approved an amended version of the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act, H.R. 471, that previously cleared the Senate. The measure will next advance to President Barack Obama for consideration.
The measure, which would enhance collaboration between pharmacies, drug distributors and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is similar to a bill approved by the House last year that Marino introduced.
“With hard work from both my colleagues in the House and Senate, we were able to pass meaningful, bipartisan legislation that will transform drug enforcement by better protecting patients who need prescription drugs and stopping those who would abuse them,” Marino said. “Prescription drug abuse is a serious epidemic that has riddled our society for too long. I am incredibly proud of this legislation and know that it is an important step in combating the problem.”
The bill would authorize collaboration between the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and the DEA to help preserve patient accessibility to drugs and to implement drug abuse enforcement measures.
“This legislation will result in better protections against the inappropriate use of prescription drugs by bringing greater clarity and transparency to the requirements for safe and secure distribution of these medicines,” Blackburn said. “I am so pleased to have helped lead this bipartisan effort with Congressman Marino to ensure that patients who have a legitimate need for medications can receive them while we are battling the drug diversion and abuse problem in this country.”