WHEREAS shortages in drugs critical to the public’s health such as tetanus toxoid, spectinomycin (an antibiotic used to treat gonorrhea in pregnant women), prolastin (a drug that slows the progression of emphysema), anti-tuberculosis medicines, and drugs to treat snakebite and hemophilia are being reported with increasing frequency, and

WHEREAS pharmaceutical companies producing these drugs are required to give 6 months notice when ceasing production of medically necessary drugs only if they are the sole producer, and

WHEREAS the Food and Drug Administration admits that enforcement of this requirement is difficult due to the FDA’s inability to adequately monitor its violation, assess civil fines or force companies to continue production, and

WHEREAS pharmaceutical companies base decisions about ceasing production of certain drugs on business principles such as profit and loss rather than on sound public health practice and needs, and

WHEREAS a shortage of medically necessary drugs can have highly detrimental public health consequences, and

WHEREAS it is the appropriate role of government to assure the protection and promotion of the public’s health, TEHREFORE

BE IT RESOLVED that the Washington State Public Health Association will communicate with appropriate state and federal level legislators and agencies about the need to require pharmaceutical companies to provide at least one year’s notice before ceasing production of medically necessary drugs, and FURTHER

BE IT RESOLVED that WSPHA will urge the American Public Health Association to communicate with Congressional leaders as well as FDA and the CDC about the need for a better national monitoring system that would permit notice and warnings to patients, doctors, hospitals and the public health system when drug shortages that would endanger the public’s health are indicated.