FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2007
Contact:
David Atkinson
(717) 787-6535
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State Senate Okays Prescription Drug Help For Veterans In Long-term Care

Senator Gib Armstrong's effort to enable veterans residing in long-term care facilities to receive prescription drugs at a lower cost was unanimously approved by the Senate.

"This bill seeks to restructure the system so that the veterans in long-term care facilities are no longer denied the low-cost medications that veterans elsewhere receive.  The way it is set up currently is not fair to the affected veterans and is not defensible public policy," Armstrong said. 

The revamped system would involve having the facility pharmacy – whether in-house or through an outside contract – receive bulk prescription drugs in the patient's name directly from the Veteran's Administration, and then repackage the drugs so they can be dispensed in unit doses.

The Armstrong bill seeks to accomplish two things – clear away regulations that prevent the necessary cooperation between the federal and state levels of government and the private providers, and build in protection against errors in the process. 

"We should be doing all we can to make sure that our veterans receive the services to which they are entitled.  If we can get this through the House and signed into law, it would be a nice holiday season gift for some deserving veterans," he noted. 

Armstrong said the idea for the legislation (Senate Bill 778) came from veterans receiving care at Willow Valley.