A proposal to impose stricter controls on prescription drugs has apparently failed after a surge of lobbying by pharmacists and drugstores, according to a New York Times report.
Pharmacists and drugstores raised two major objections to the federal bill, would require patients to seek new prescriptions for refills of hydrocodone-combination products like Vicodin, require a higher level of security for the storage and transportation of the drugs and increase penalties for misuse. The new restrictions, they said, would make it more difficult for patients in pain to obtain treatment, and pharmacies would be saddled with costly administrative burdens.
In a letter to Congress, five groups of pharmacists and drugstores, including the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association, said that under the proposal, "prescribers will no longer be able to phone in prescriptions to pharmacies for their patients." In addition, the groups said, "there is a greater chance that patients with a legitimate clinical need would be unnecessarily forced to endure symptoms of pain for a longer period of time." The letter added that the proposal's requirements would increase overhead costs because many pharmacies would have to buy and install larger safes for the storage of widely-used products.
House and Senate negotiators announced Monday night that they had reached a bipartisan agreement on the overall bill, and said they hoped Congress would approve it by the end of the month.
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Pharmacists and drugstores raised two major objections to the federal bill, would require patients to seek new prescriptions for refills of hydrocodone-combination products like Vicodin, require a higher level of security for the storage and transportation of the drugs and increase penalties for misuse. The new restrictions, they said, would make it more difficult for patients in pain to obtain treatment, and pharmacies would be saddled with costly administrative burdens.
In a letter to Congress, five groups of pharmacists and drugstores, including the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association, said that under the proposal, "prescribers will no longer be able to phone in prescriptions to pharmacies for their patients." In addition, the groups said, "there is a greater chance that patients with a legitimate clinical need would be unnecessarily forced to endure symptoms of pain for a longer period of time." The letter added that the proposal's requirements would increase overhead costs because many pharmacies would have to buy and install larger safes for the storage of widely-used products.
House and Senate negotiators announced Monday night that they had reached a bipartisan agreement on the overall bill, and said they hoped Congress would approve it by the end of the month.
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