Rep. Sherrill and Harshbarger Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Modernize Prescription Information
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) reintroduced the bipartisan Prescription Information Modernization Act, legislation designed to update how prescribing information (PI) is distributed to pharmacists and physicians. This long-overdue reform would allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize a proposed rule permitting drug manufacturers to send prescribing information electronically instead of on printed paper — a change that would improve patient safety and reduce waste.
“I’m focused on improving our healthcare system to ensure healthcare providers are able to provide the best possible care to patients,” said Rep. Sherrill. “Under outdated rules, providers are prohibited from receiving prescribing information for medications digitally. This legislation would finally modernize our system, allowing pharmacists to access real-time updates on prescription medications that will ensure they can dispense medicines to patients safely while reducing waste at the same time.”
“Pharmacists and physicians deserve timely, accurate data when making decisions that impact patient health, not pages of printed material that often arrive late and are immediately discarded,” said Rep. Harshbarger. “This bipartisan bill is a practical update that empowers healthcare professionals with real-time digital access, cuts waste, and ensures patients are receiving the most up-to-date information. Thank you to my colleague, Representative Sherrill for working with me to bring prescribing information into the 21st century.”
Currently, prescribing information — detailed technical documents intended for healthcare providers, not patients — must be printed and distributed on paper. These documents average 45 pages per prescription and are often bulky, outdated, and discarded soon after arrival. This outdated system, established in 1962, creates significant waste and environmental harm, with roughly 90 billion sheets of paper printed annually to comply with the mandate.
In 2014, the FDA proposed a rule to allow electronic distribution of prescribing information, but Congress has blocked the rule’s finalization through appropriations riders, forcing providers to continue receiving paper copies that are often outdated as it takes up to 8 to 12 months from printing to shipment of the information. This legislation would give providers the choice of how they receive prescribing information and allow them to opt for digital delivery that offers real-time updates — improving patient care and reducing environmental waste.
This legislation has drawn support from leading pharmacy and healthcare advocacy organizations, including the Alliance to Modernize Prescribing Information (AMPI) and the following groups: Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), Allergy & Asthma Network, American Pharmacists Association, AmGen, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Association for Accessible Medicines, Beyond Type 1, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, BioNJ, BioUtah, Boomer Esiason Foundation, Environmental Paper Network, Georgia Bio, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, LUNGevity Foundation, Lupin, Maryland Tech Council, MassBio, McKesson, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Consumers League, National Grange, NewYorkBIO, North Carolina Biosciences Organization, Texas Healthcare and Biosciences Institute, and Zero Cancer.
Additional sponsors of this legislation include Reps. David Valadao (R-CA), Don Davis (D-NC), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Steve Womack (R-AR), and Paul Tonko (D-NY).
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