Safeguarding America's Pharmaceuticals Act of 2013

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

You know, the United States has the best drug supply chain in the world, but it faces attack each and every day by counterfeiters, thieves, and rogue distributors.

Most Americans would just assume that their prescription drugs that they buy in their drugstore have been tracked rigorously from manufacturer to retail, but that assumption could not be more wrong. In fact, current law leaves a great deal of leeway for counterfeit medications to enter the market, and the punishment for those counterfeiting prescription medication is oftentimes far from adequate. From fake flu vaccines to fake cancer drugs, counterfeit medications have been manufactured and allowed to enter the supply chain and in some cases, unfortunately, even administered to unsuspecting patients. The United States may be the most secure, but we are still at risk.

I believe we have a bill before us today that is guided by the strong principles of patient safety and supply chain integrity. The bill is flexible and does not seek to overly burden States, suppliers, or small businesses. Maintaining the integrity of the United States' prescription drug supply is a compelling national priority.

I want to congratulate Mr. Latta and Mr. Matheson, as well as Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Dingell, for their leadership on the issue. I appreciate you allowing me to be involved in the development of this bill. I think it is a testament to all the hard work done, including that by our committee staff, Clay Alspach and Paul Edattel, and my personal staff, J.P. Paluskievicz.

I urge my colleagues to support this.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source