(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) today released the following statement after providing input to U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee Members, U.S. Representatives Larry Bucshon (IN-08) and Diana DeGette (CO-01), following their request for information from industry stakeholders on how Congress can build upon the 21st Century Cures Act and Cures 2.0 to develop and deliver a new generation of treatments:
“Prioritizing access to self-care should be a core focus of any effort to advance solutions for better public health,” said CHPA President & CEO Scott Melville. “Self-care has become one of the most cost-effective types of healthcare. Products like OTC medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices save our healthcare system billions of dollars annually, providing convenient, affordable, and direct access to treatments for common everyday illnesses and conditions, as well as promoting overall wellness and diagnosis. Altogether, self-care allows our healthcare system to utilize its limited resources for more serious medical conditions that may require the direct involvement of healthcare professionals.
“As the role of self-care broadens to many new categories, CHPA believes long-term regulatory and legislative improvements that empower consumers to take charge of their health and well-being will help create a more sustainable healthcare system that is patient focused. We remain committed to continuing to work with Congress, regulators, and key industry stakeholders to enhance public health by preserving and increasing consumer choice and accessibility.”
Background:
The 21st Century Cures Act, introduced by U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette and Fred Upton in May 2015 and signed into law in 2016, aimed to improve the delivery of new treatments to patients. In 2021, they proposed Cures 2.0 to build upon the 2016 law. While some parts of Cures 2.0 have been enacted, other provisions are still pending.
In June, Reps. DeGette and Bucshon sent a letter to stakeholders, interest groups, and healthcare advocates, seeking input on the ways in which Congress can bring about the next generation of treatments. On August 1, CHPA sent a letter in response to this request, underscoring the need for the following regulatory and legislative improvements that will expand and preserve the availability of beneficial consumer healthcare products:
- Reauthorizing the Over-The-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program (OMUFA);
- Ensuring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) develops a final rule for an Additional Condition for Nonprescription Use (ACNU) in a way that does not obstruct or undermine the Rx-to-OTC switch pathway;
- Advancing the FDA Modernization Act; and
- Securing comprehensive modernization of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
CHPA’s full comments can be found HERE.
