Engel Calls for More Funding to Reduce Generic Medication Backlog

ENGEL CALLS FOR MORE FUNDING TO REDUCE GENERIC MEDICATION BACKLOG

Office of Generic Drugs' backlog is costing constituents more money as they pay for name brand medications when generic substitutes would be appropriate

Washington, D.C.- With a backlog of more than 800 applications to bring new generic products to the market, Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) has joined his colleagues in requesting additional funding for the Office of Generic Drugs in FY07.

"Many of my constituents rely on generic drugs to keep their monthly medication costs at a reasonable level. By maintaining a backlog, the Office of Generic Drugs is doing a disservice and keeping medication costs artificially high," said Congressman Engel.

This backlog stems largely from insufficient resources that prevent the office from reviewing generic drug applications in a timely fashion. To make matters worse, a record number of new applications are expected this year, yet there are no plans in the President's budget proposal to increase funding to hire additional staff. As a result, the Director of the Office of Generic Drugs anticipates that the backlog will substantially increase over the next year.

"Bringing generic drugs to market in a more timely fashion is a vital tool in trying to reduce health care spending, a concern that my constituents are constantly reiterating to me. We want to see our medications safe, effective and affordable, not stuck in a mess of bureaucratic paperwork," concluded Engel.

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