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Press Release

GPhA Urges the White House and Congress to Heed Message of CCPM Health Care Reform Ad Campaign

The following is a statement from Kathleen Jaeger, President and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), on the new health care reform ad campaign from the Coalition for a Competitive Pharmaceutical Market (CCPM):

“During this holiday season, Congress is taking the phrase ‘it is better to give than receive’ very seriously when it comes to appeasing the brand drug companies. GPhA joins CCPM in calling upon President Obama to tell Congress that health care reform legislation must put patients before brand company profits.

“Currently, the health care reform bill is a treasure trove for brand pharmaceutical companies. It not only delays patient access to lifesaving biogeneric medicines, it encourages older Americans to use more costly brand drugs in the Medicare program. Meanwhile, generic medicines are saving our health care system one billion dollars every three days - $121 billion in 2008 alone. Moreover, a growing number of Americans are turning to safe and effective generic medicines to save money during these difficult economic times without compromising quality care. With generics, you get the same medicines as brand name drugs, but at much more affordable costs. Congress should be working to increase access to generic medicines, not restricting access.

“The generic pharmaceutical industry supports health care reform, but reform that puts patients, not brand company profits, come first. Our industry works every day to ensure that Americans are able to get the care they need at prices they can afford. We applaud the President for his strong support of generic medicines and his statements in favor of getting biogeneric medicines to patients sooner rather than later. Now, we need action from the President and Congress to fix this bill and ensure patient needs are a priority.”

GPhA represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals, manufacturers and distributors of bulk active pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic drug industry. Generics represent 72% of the total prescriptions dispensed in the United States, but only 17% of all dollars spent on prescription drugs. For more information about the industry, visit www.gphaonline.org.

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