A bill to extend the small business loan enhancements.

Discussed legislative intent with respect to Biologic drugs and exclusivity period.(no bill) Discussed importance of potential savings both to consumers and to the federal government of granting Secretarial Negotiating Authority to Secretary of HHS on Medicare Part D. (no bill)Discussed legislative intent with respect to biologic drugs and the exclusivity period; and discussed importance of potential savings to the health care system generally. (no bill) Discussed need for greater consumer safety protections both in OTC and prescription drugs. (no bill) Discussed need to end industry tactics like Pay for Delay which inappropriately extends patents with effect of keeping prices high for consumers and government. (no bill) Discussed need for doctors to get unbiased information on prescription pharmaceuticals through programs like academic detailing. (no bill) Discussed possible savings and better health care outcomes that could result from Medication Therapy Management. (no bill) Pub. Law 111-148 and 111-152 - Discussed implementation of health care legislation to reform the health care system to provide quality healthcare, expand access to long-term services and supports, and reduced prescription drug costs. Discussed greater affordability of generic versions of both generic and biologic drugs. S. 319, Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2011 - Discussed legislation that establishes a framework for the safe, legal importation of lower-priced prescription drugs from abroad. S. 1206, Medicare Drug Savings Act of 2011 - Discussed rebates in Medicare Part D as a cost savings measure in Medicare that does not harm beneficiaries. H. R. 3342, Affordable Medicines Utilization Act of 2011 - Lobbied on legislation to encourage state Medicaid programs to use safe, effective generic medications. S. 27, Preserve Access to Affordable Generics Act of 2011- Lobbied for this legislation preventing abuses in patent settlements between generic and brand name prescription drug companies. S. 1886/H.R. 3468 of 2011- Discussed counterfeit drug penalty enhancement. Discussed prescription drug safety, drug shortage, and medical device safety, and related user fee legislation. S. 2193 of 2012, the Ensuring Safe Medical Devices for Patients Act - Discussed legislation to include devices in the post-market risk identification and analysis system for prescription drugs and to expedite the implementation of the unique device identification system for medical devices. Discussed draft legislation to address the issue of whether generic drug manufacturers have a duty to include new warnings about potentially serious side effects on their labels as they become known. The bill would accomplish this by giving generic drug makers the same ability to update their labeling as currently exists for manufacturers of brand name drugs. (no bill) S.3187, Food and Drug Administration safety and Innovation Act - FDA user fee agreement legislation focusing on the review process for prescription drugs and medical devices, prescription drug safety, drug shortages, medical device safety and access to generic drugs. S.3212, Cody Miller Initiative for Safer Prescriptions Act - To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations regarding the authorship, content, format, and dissemination of Patient Medication information. Discussed prescription drugs. S. 3604, Improving Preventive Care Treatment in Older Adults Act - Discussed legislation to address the inaproppriate use of antipsychotics in nursing home facilities. Discussed the importance of potential savings to both consumers and the federal government of granting Secretarial negotiating authority to the HHS Secretary under Medicare Part D. (no bill) Discussed pay-for-delay agreements as tactic by drug manufacturers to block lower cost drugs from entering the market, and the Fair and Immediate Release of Generics Drugs Act that would address the underlying issue of "parked exclusivities" in the Hatch-Waxman Act (S.1882). Discussed the issue of biosimilar drug naming and how biosimilars should use a common International Non-proprietary name as reference originator biologic products. (no bill) Discussed the importance of potential savings to both consumers and the federal government of granting Secretarial negotiating authority to the HHS Secretary under Medicare Part D. (no bill) S. 504, the Fair and Immediate Release of Generic Drugs Act/S.214, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics Act - Discussed legislation to address pay-for-delay agreements used by drug manufacturers to block lower cost drugs from entering the market. Discussed the exclusivity period for biologic drugs. (no bill) Discussed the Patient Safety and Generic Labeling Improvement Act. (no bill)Discussed Unique Device Identification (UDI) issues including proposed rules and implementation. (no bill) Discussed oversight of laboratory genetic testing. (no bill) Discussed AARP's concerns with prescription drug costs. (no bill) S.117, Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act - Discussed bill that allows medicare to negotiate medicare prescription drug prices with drug companies. Discussed use of anti-psychaotic drugs in nursing home residents and the Long-Term Services and Supports Scorecard. (no bill)