Utah Legislature now in session!
See USHP Legislative Tracking Grid 2012 update 1-31-12
Urgent Update – SB 161:
Update 2/21/12 – Bill Passed in Senate on 2/16/2012 – See SB161 Update 2-21-12
See Issue Brief SB161 for details on this bill an USHP recommendations and talking points.
One of the most important opportunities to do this is now communicate with our personal state legislators (both on the House and Senate side) to express our concerns.
If you don’t know who your legislators are, follow the link and enter your address. Their contact information is also on the website.
http://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp
If you’d like to follow the status of this bill, follow the link below.
National Pharmacy Legislation:
Medication Shortage Legislation
As all of you have seen in your practices, medication shortages are having a huge impact on patient safety and public health. In an effort to address this trend, proposed legislation was submitted to the United States Congress last year (H.R. 2245 /S. 296, “Preserving Access to Life Saving Medications Act”). This bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In order for it to move forward, it will need to be placed on the committee agenda, and the best way to make that happen is for stakeholders to contact their legislators and ask that it be addressed in committee. Congressman Jim Matheson of Utah sits on this committee.
If you are so inclined, our national professional associations have developed very easy ways to reach out to your legislators on issues of this nature. You can follow the links below to learn more about the proposed legislation, ASHP’s position on it, and how to reach out to your legislators and express your position on this issue. While these resources make it easy to reach out to your legislators, there is great power in sharing examples of how patients have been affected by this issue, and how the proposed legislation may affect it.
ASHP’s analysis of the bill on drug shortages
http://www.ashp.org/menu/AboutUs/ForPress/PressReleases/PressRelease.aspx?id=643
Link to ASHP’s “Take Action” site, which allows members to contact their legislators regarding the bill.
http://app6.vocusgr.com/WebPublish/Controller.aspx?SiteName=ASHP&Definition=ViewIssue&IssueID=9974
(requires active membership in ASHP)