SGO and Health Policy and Socioeconomic Committee (HPSE) leadership have been meeting with key members of Congress to sound the alarm on the impact that the ongoing chemotherapy shortages are having on patients and SGO members.
Leadership has met with key members of Congress—House Cancer Caucus leadership and those who have introduced legislation on drug shortages—to educate staff on the drug shortage crisis and explore solutions. As a result of this outreach, SGO is working with the House Cancer Caucus co-chairs to hold a briefing in early-June for Congressional staff on the impact of the shortage on patients and cancer care and potential policy options.
Additionally, the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Examining the Root Causes of Drug Shortages: Challenges in the Pharmaceutical Drug Supply Chains,” on May 11. SGO submitted questions for the record on issues ranging from what additional authority the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to better respond to drug shortages to how to incentivize more pharmaceutical manufacturing to occur domestically. We look forward to getting responses to these questions soon.
SGO will be taking member responses to the survey on drug shortages and conducting outreach to the FDA. It is critical for FDA to have accurate information on which areas of the country are experiencing shortages to address these issues efficiently and effectively.