Senator Collins Secures Provision to Protect Prescription Paper Inserts

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved language she authored to continue to protect prescription paper inserts. The provision was included as part of the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations bill at the request of Senator Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. 

Paper inserts are important tools for pharmacists and health care professionals who administer life-saving medications to patients. Senator Collins’ provision would block the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) E-labeling rule for prescribing information that proposed allowing pharmaceutical companies to only electronically distribute prescribing information instead of using traditional paper inserts. If implemented, the rule could threaten patient safety and have adverse consequences for the forest products industry.

“I am pleased that this bill continues to block the FDA’s proposed rule regarding the electronic distribution of prescribing information in lieu of paper inserts,” said Senator Collins. “FDA’s misguided proposal could have an adverse effect not only on patient safety, but also would be acutely felt by rural Americans where Internet access is not available or unreliable.”

Senator Collins secured this provision in the FY 2016 and FY 2017 funding bills.