As chemotherapy drug shortages continue to delay patient care and alter treatment plans, 70 bipartisan members of Congress sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking for more information on the shortages and for ways Congress can help address this issue. As these drug shortages have affected treatment plans for radiation oncologists and their patients, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) worked with ASCO, which led the effort to secure signatures on the letter. The letter details the detrimental effects of these shortages on patients, including delays and changes to treatment plans, and emphasizes how they lead to worse patient outcomes.
The members of Congress also laid out seven inquiries for the HHS and the FDA centering on their efforts related to drug shortage reporting and prevention, transparency around shortages, and collaboration with Congress to avoid such critical shortages.
