HR1170 LRB095 20736 GRL 49206 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
3 the responsibility to determine if newly developed medical
4 products are safe and effective; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Any prescription medication, over the counter
6 medication, medical device, or vaccination must be approved by
7 the FDA prior to being marketed for general sale in the United
8 States; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Over the last few years, various widely-used
10 prescription drugs have been removed from the market following
11 documented deaths and serious harm to patients; and
 
12     WHEREAS, These incidents call into question the standards
13 currently used to review drugs and devices in response to the
14 FDA Modernization Act of 1997; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Many women have health conditions that require
16 them to take medication throughout their lives, such as asthma,
17 epilepsy, hypertension, and depression; at this time, while a
18 rating system for drug safety does exist, statistics and
19 research are lacking regarding the safety of taking these
20 medications during pregnancy; and
 

 

 

HR1170 - 2 - LRB095 20736 GRL 49206 r

1     WHEREAS, According to figures kept by birth defect research
2 groups, the incidence of women using nonprescription medicines
3 to treat headaches, colds, upset stomachs, and other ailments
4 typical during pregnancy is on the rise; researchers have found
5 that over 20% of pregnant women use four or more drugs during
6 their pregnancy, with over the counter medicines being utilized
7 most often; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The American College of Obstetricians and
9 Gynecologists does not currently have guidelines for
10 physicians prescribing medications during pregnancy; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Over 150,000 babies in the U.S. each year are born
12 with serious birth defects; while some causes of birth defects
13 are linked to genetic or chromosomal problems, the majority are
14 caused by unknown reasons; therefore, be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
17 urge the U.S Food and Drug Administration to seek out better
18 research and data collection pertaining to drug use during
19 pregnancy; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That we also urge the U.S. Food and Drug
21 Administration, in cooperation with pharmacists and
22 physicians, to do an informational campaign to provide

 

 

HR1170 - 3 - LRB095 20736 GRL 49206 r

1 scientifically accurate information to both pregnant and
2 lactating women regarding the hazards of taking prescription
3 and over the counter medications, along with the potential
4 impact on their child; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
6 delivered to the members of the Illinois congressional
7 delegation, the Illinois State Medical Society, the Illinois
8 Pharmacists Association, and the Illinois Department of Public
9 Health.