U.S. Representatives Diana Harshbarger and Mikie Sherrill have reintroduced the bipartisan Prescription Information Modernization Act. This legislation aims to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement a proposed rule that would enable drug manufacturers to transmit prescribing information electronically, replacing the current requirement for printed copies.
Rep. Harshbarger emphasized the importance of providing healthcare professionals with timely and accurate data, stating, “Pharmacists and physicians deserve timely, accurate data when making decisions that impact patient health, not pages of printed material that often arrive late and are immediately discarded.” She expressed gratitude to Rep. Sherrill for collaborating on this initiative.
Rep. Sherrill highlighted her focus on improving healthcare delivery by allowing digital access to prescribing information. “I’m focused on improving our healthcare system to ensure healthcare providers are able to provide the best possible care to patients,” she said.
The existing policy mandates printed prescribing information, averaging 45 pages per prescription, which is primarily intended for healthcare professionals rather than patients. Despite an FDA proposal in 2014 for electronic distribution, Congress has blocked its finalization through appropriations processes.
The proposed legislation would offer healthcare professionals the choice between digital or printed formats for receiving prescribing information. Digital access provides real-time updates, whereas printed materials can take up to a year from printing to delivery and may be outdated upon arrival.
Support for this legislation comes from several pharmacy and healthcare advocacy organizations such as the Alliance to Modernize Prescribing Information (AMPI), American Pharmacists Association, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, among others.
Additional sponsors include Reps. David Valadao, Don Davis, Ken Calvert, Scott Peters, Julia Letlow, Deborah Ross, Brad Schneider, Steve Womack, and Paul Tonko.
