Bilirakis Votes to Protect Patient Access and Efficient Drug Enforcement

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, today voted in favor of H.R. 471, the Ensuring Patient Access to Effective Drug Enforcement Act. This legislation will require the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to issue timely guidance to prescription drug wholesalers. H.R. 471 passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote.

"Despite great progress made in the Tampa Bay area in reducing prescription drug abuse, we still need to make efforts to eliminate it all together, while ensuring people in legitimate pain with legitimate prescriptions have access to their medications. We can make progress towards stopping prescription drug abuse and ensuring that those who need prescription pain medication are able to access it," Bilirakis said. "This legislation is a good first step. By providing drug wholesalers with timely and accurate guidance, the DEA, pharmacists, and wholesalers will be able to work together and make substantive progress towards seriously reducing prescription drug abuse, and protecting individuals with valid prescriptions."

To view Congressman Bilirakis' opening statement, click here.

The Energy and Commerce Committee also voted in a bipartisan fashion in favor of:

• H.R. 639, the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act;
• H.R. 648, the Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act;
• H.R. 734, The FCC Consolidated Reporting Act;
• H.R. 212, the Drinking Water Protection Act; and
• H.R. 647, Access to Life-Saving Trauma Care for All Americans Act.