Premier Statement on the Introduction of the Drug Shortages Shelf Life Extension Act

By Blair Childs, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

Premier applauds Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) for their steadfast leadership in tackling drug shortages, which continue to strain healthcare providers’ ability to treat patients safely and effectively and contribute to increased costs. While the provisions Congress included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act are monumental to mitigating and preventing drug shortages, the pandemic has highlighted additional vulnerabilities in the pharmaceutical supply chain. This legislation addresses one of those areas. The Drug Shortages Shelf Life Extension Act aligns with Premier’s recommendations to grant the FDA authority to temporarily extend expiration dates for drug shortage products if determined to be scientifically sound. We urge Congress to pass the legislation.

Premier is working to eliminate drug shortages and ensure that drugs are made available to providers through programs such as ProvideGx, which has been instrumental in removing more than 15 drugs from the shortage list.