ASA Submits Testimony and Solutions on Drug Shortages to Congress

Continuing our call for strong legislative action, ASA offered the perspective of anesthesiologists and solutions to the growing drug shortage pandemic in an official submission to the U.S. Senate Finance and U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committees.  Among other items, ASA highlighted the dramatic impact of drug shortages on anesthesiologists and our patients as indicated in the ASA drug shortage survey, and urged immediate action by highlighting recommendations offered by the ASA co-convened Drug Shortage Summit Steering Group.  
 
Over the course of the last two years, ASA has actively led efforts to combat the drug shortage issue on both the legislative and regulatory fronts.  Some of the most recent government actions on this important topic include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) interim final rule mandating additional manufacturer notification requirements related to drug shortages and a long-awaited Government Accountability Office report on drug shortages in which anesthesia drug shortages were identified as the class of drugs with the highest frequency of shortages (23 percent of all drug shortages during the last two years).
  
Review ASA’ official submission to the Senate Finance Committee and review ASA’ submission to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee.