Big Sky Times

On Aug. 29, eleven U.S. governors, including Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, came together to send a joint letter to Congressional leaders urging immediate action to address the escalating nationwide shortage of essential prescription drugs, citing national security risks and public health concerns. The letter was addressed to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The governors are concerned that life-saving drugs, such as albuterol, amoxicillin, and chemotherapy treatments, are in severely short supply. Shortages have been going on for some time, but it appears that shortages are worsening. The governors wrote that "Pharmacists in our states are having to tell patients that they don’t have critical medicine available."

The letter points out that more than 80 percent of the active ingredients in prescription drugs supplied in the United States come from other nations, most notably China and India, as a major concern in the American healthcare system. "This limited supply chain creates a national security risk and leaves America competing with other nations for essential resources," the governors said in their statement.

The governors made their case by citing an article from The New York Times in support of their contention that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ought to have more authority over pharmaceutical shortages and reporting processes from Congress. The letter urged Congress to work with FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, who has shown a desire to work together.

"The American people deserve to know the truth behind where their prescription drugs are coming from and how they are quality tested, especially when those drugs are originating overseas," read the letter. 

The letter was signed by the governors of the following states: South Dakota (Kristi Noem), Arkansas (Sarah Sanders), Indiana (Eric Holcomb), Iowa (Kim Reynolds), Mississippi (Tate Reeves), Missouri (Mike Parson), Montana (Greg Gianforte), Nevada (Joe Lombardo), New Hampshire (Chris Sununu), New Mexico (Greg Abbott), Texas (Greg Abbott), and Wyoming (Mark Gordon).