CMS Decision to Cease Printing Research Data Part of Larger Trend that Puts Patient Health At Risk

Press Release : PPLA

Washington, DC (February 20, 2024) – The Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association (PPLA) opposes the decision from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to cease providing scientific researchers printed copies of data, despite warnings from researchers and academics that it will impede their work. This move is one decision that is part of a larger trend to transition healthcare information and data to digital, ignoring the warnings that it will put patients’ health at risk.  

Politico:

“Adam Sacarny, an assistant professor of health policy at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, said the move was a ‘shock.’ The cost varies significantly by project for physical versus digital data extracts, he said.”

[…]

“William Schpero, an assistant professor of health policy at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, said the move is like ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’ and added that it could disproportionately hurt students at institutions with fewer resources.”

Printed health information is also under threat from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which proposed a rule that would push all Americans’ patient medication information (PMI) online and force patients to scan a QR code at the pharmacy or at home to access life-saving information about their medications. To protect patients’ access to printed PMI and ensure patients take their prescriptions safely and effectively, the bipartisan Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act (H.R. 1173) would standardize medication information and ensure it is printed by drug manufacturers.

The Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association 

Chartered in 2001, the PPLA serves as the voice for our members, advocating for patient safety and risk communication by fighting to keep information on paper and readily accessible for patients and caregivers. This information helps drive the patient involvement model of health care, helping patients get the maximum benefits from the powerful drugs they take while minimizing risk.

For more information about PPLA, click here.