The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a mark-up on Wednesday, June 13, on biologic drug legislation. The mark-up provides an opportunity for committee members to offer amendments; Senators may use this to introduce an amendment regulating compounding pharmacies. As you know, Senator Kennedy is the chairman of the HELP Committee and can bring the Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007 before the committee at any time.

It is still critical to contact your Senators and Representatives with phone calls and emails letting them know you have the right to have access to essential medications that only compounding pharmacies can provide. If you have already contacted them, please follow up to let them know you are monitoring this issue.

The Kennedy-Burr draft proposal would threaten patient access to compounded medications, restricting your right to obtain natural solutions, and individualized treatment for health problems. The Kennedy-Burr Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007 would give the FDA authority over compounding pharmacies and over physicians who prescribe compounded products and severely restrict your access to these preparations. Allergy immunotherapy treatment prepared by physicians in their offices is also considered drug compounding and could be adversely affected by this bill. 

This bill would replace a physician's right to choose treatment with the interference of federal health regulators with the authority to restrict which compounded medications could be prescribed. Bio-identical hormones and allergy desensitization treatment, used by patients with autism, could also be eliminated by this bill.

If enough people oppose this bill, these congressional representatives will think twice before passing it. Please e-mail, phone and fax your US Senators and Congressman today and ask them to oppose the Kennedy-Burr Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007.

With much appreciation, I remain, as always,

Sincerely yours,

Steven F. Hotze, M.D.