Months of Preparation & Unprecedented Cooperation Paid Off With An
Uninterrupted Supply of Prescription Medications for Consumers During Y2K
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers continued to refill their
prescription drugs without incident during the Y2K date change, thanks to
months of preparation and unprecedented cooperation by all sectors of the
pharmaceutical supply system.
"Beginning December 30 and continuing through today, the Pharmaceutical
Alliance for Y2K Readiness sent daily status reports on consumer demand,
manufacturing capabilities and inventory supplies and deliveries to the FDA
and the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion," said Alan F. Holmer,
President of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. "These
reports concluded that consumer demand and manufacturing capabilities remained
normal and that deliveries occurred on schedule during the Y2K transition."
Ronald J. Streck, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National
Wholesale Druggists' Association said, "The pharmaceutical supply system spent
many years and more than $2 billion preparing for the Y2K transition. This
included increasing inventories of pharmaceuticals and raw materials, creating
contingency plans, and ensuring that all computer chips and systems were Y2K
compliant. Today, we are pleased to report that these preparations have paid
off and the result is an uninterrupted flow of products."
"The level of cooperation between manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies,
physicians, and patient advocacy groups was unprecedented," said Calvin J.
Anthony, Executive Vice President of the National Community Pharmacists
Association. "Together, we were able to educate physicians, pharmacists, and
other health care providers about the steps the industry had taken to prepare
for the Year 2000 date change and to alleviate consumer fears about their
ability to fill prescriptions during Y2K."
Craig Fuller, President and CEO of the National Association of Chain Drug
Stores said, "We realized early on that the greatest threat to the supply
system would come from consumer overbuying of medications. The greatest
accomplishment of the Alliance was to educate consumers about the need to
refill their medications as they normally would, when they have a five-to-
seven day supply remaining," Fuller added. "Consumers followed this advice
and did not stockpile their medications. As a result, we had ample supplies
for everyone."
Fuller noted, as did other Alliance leaders, that "In addition to
unprecedented cooperation within the pharmaceutical supply system, preparing
for Y2K required enormous cooperation between the public and private sectors
including the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the
Department of Veterans' Affairs, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)."
The Pharmaceutical Alliance for Y2K Readiness is a coalition of drug
manufacturers, wholesale distributors, pharmacies and health care
organizations that worked closely with government leaders to ensure consumers
a continued and substantial supply of pharmaceuticals through January 1, 2000.
Members of the Alliance include the following: Academy of Managed Care
Pharmacy; American Academy of Physician Assistants; American Association of
Health Plans; American College of Apothecaries; American College of Nurse
Practitioners; American Medical Association; American Pharmaceutical
Association; American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; Food Marketing
Institute; Health Industry Group Purchasing Association; Juvenile Diabetes
Foundation; National Alliance for the Mentally Ill; National Association of
Chain Drug Stores; National Association of Community Health Centers; National
Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers; National Community Pharmacists
Association; National Consumers League; National Council on Patient
Information and Education; National Health Council; National Wholesale
Druggists Association; Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
SOURCE Pharmaceutical Alliance for Y2K Readiness
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Related links:
http://www.Y2Kmedication.com
CONTACT:
Alice Slater or Debra Cabral for the
Pharmaceutical Alliance for Y2K Readiness, 202-298-9055
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