November 18, 2013

Statement by Senator Warren on Senate Passage of Pharmaceutical Compounding Legislation

Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren today released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the Drug Quality and Security Act:

"I am proud to have worked together with Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander and all of the Senators on the HELP Committee from both sides of the aisle over several months to develop this law, which will create common sense oversight of the pharmaceutical compounding industry and the pharmaceutical supply chain.  For too long, bad actors in the compounding industry have taken advantage of lax state enforcement and confusion about federal regulations. The consequences of too little regulation and too little enforcement were brought into sharp focus last year when a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts, the New England Compounding Center, was identified as the source of a widespread fungal meningitis outbreak that sickened 751 people and killed 64. The bill strengthens current law over compounding pharmacies and establishes tough, new regulations on large scale facilities like the New England Compounding Center. It also creates an important new oversight system to ensure we have a secure supply chain for our pharmaceutical products.  This bill is a big step forward in making people's drugs safer.  I commend my colleagues for stepping up to the challenge and showing that it is possible for Congress to do what is right - pass commonsense reforms that protect patients and consumers from harm."

###