NATIONAL ALL SCHEDULES PRESCRIPTION ELECTRONIC REPORTING ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 27, 2005)
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) for yielding me this time.
I rise in strong support of the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act, or NASPER, legislation which has been mentioned that the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) has introduced, along with myself, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland).
This critical legislation provides an avenue for addressing the illegal diversion and misuse of prescription drugs. Prescription drug abuse constitutes one of the fastest growing areas of drug abuse in our Nation today, affecting people of all areas of our Nation, all ages, and all income levels.
Health care practitioners and pharmacists desperately need electronic prescription drug monitoring systems to ensure that they are only prescribing and dispensing schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances that are medically necessary. This bill provides the resources to States to create and operate State-based drug monitoring programs, allows physicians to access this information, and allows for States to communicate with one another. NASPER would help physicians prevent their patients from becoming addicted to prescription medications and would help law enforcement with criminal investigations in the illicit prescription drug market.
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