Subject: Senate Bill 877 / House Bill 4911

I ask that you Vote NO to bills- S.877 / H.B.4911 or at least HOLD proceedings on the vote until provisions can be added to protect the affected children.

We support abolishing illegal prescribing and distribution of growth hormone. However, as the bill currently stands it will be at the detriment of the children!

Problems with this bill include:
1. Methods to protect the little children in need of this drug are not included and need serious consideration prior to implementation. As it currently stands the little children and their families will be dramatically and horribly impacted.
2. Growth hormone is not currently classified as a Scheduled drug – it is a hormone.
3. Scheduling this hormone as a drug requires all sources of the medication to be pulled off of the pharmacy shelves, relabeled, and stocked back only into pharmacies which qualify for such drugs.
4. Delay or denial of coverage from insurance carriers, as new prescriptions would have to be obtained, submitted for approval, processed and reauthorized by health insurance carriers.
5. Detrimental To Children's Health:
* Elimination of flexibility in prescribing for individual cases; for example: patients who need medication dosages adjusted temporarily due to another health issue that requires a temporary adjusted dose, patients who experience temporary side effects, or pubertal patients.
* Physicians would also be limited or restricted in prescribing only certain brands of growth hormone for certain growth-related diagnoses.
6. Burdensome to Families and Caregivers:
* High cost and travel to obtain written prescriptions...Pediatric Endocrinologists are not available everywhere. Some states only have 1 such qualified specialist.
* Low income families may not have transportation or means to miss work to numerous appointments.
* Increased financial burden on families due to more frequent co pays.

A possible inclusion which would help eliminate my concerns would be as follows: Exceptions to this ruling include medical prescriptions written by endocrinologists who have diagnosed a child for any classification of GHD, including pituitary or hypothalamic disorders or other medical need including ISS; and for adults with GHD/AGHD.

Many Of Those Athletes And Celebrities Who Have Created This Situation Were
Supposed To Be Heroes For Our Children...
Here Is Your Chance To Be Their Hero.

GIVE VOICE TO THE CHILDREN
WHO NEED CONSIDERATION AND PROVISION IN THIS BILL!
PLEASE VOTE NO,
DO NOT PASS S877/ HB 4911 AS WRITTEN

Sincerely,
Michael

PS. My son Maxwell is personally affected; he does not produce GH and requires 2 injections a day, missing any shots can cause serious medical implications. On December 15th he almost died (at the time we were not aware that he was no longer producing GH). In less than an hour his blood sugars dropped from 74 to 38. Thankfully I was home and thanks to a fast response by the police and ambulance squad in our town Max was saved.

Please do not put his life at risk again.

I am writing on behalf of a good friend upon hearing from her that her son will be affected, negatively, by the passage of this bill. This bill would make Human Growth Hormone, one of the drugs her son Zach needs to take for the rest of his life, a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substance Act. Schedule III drugs include opiates, barbiturates, amphetamines, narcotics and steroids. HGH is none of those. The other criterion for Schedule III is being addictive. HGH is not addictive. If you don't take it you just don't get the benefits. The Bill (S.877) will result in fewer doctors licensed to prescribe it (our doctor has a nine month waiting list and Zach is 4 hours from him so we can't just show up if there's a cancellation); 30-day prescriptions entail 3 times the copay as present; no more mailing of the meds. This may seem like minor inconveniences to the politicos but it translates as damaging the quality of life of many who were just not lucky enough to be born with a full endocrine system.

I was unaware of this bill and I am glad she let me know about it. I urge you to vote against bill S.877.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Glenn

My name is Jamie Harvey. I am Chairman and Co-Founder of a Children Charity called The MAGIC Foundation for children's growth. I represent thousands and thousands of little children's families which this bill will directly impact. VOTE NO- until provisions are built in to protect the children.

My name is Jamie Harvey. I am Chairman and Co-Founder of a Children Charity called The MAGIC Foundation for children's growth. I represent thousands and thousands of little children's families which this bill (S.877 and H.R. 4911) will directly impact. VOTE NO- until provisions are built in to protect the children.

Vote NO! My son takes GH. To take him to the endocrinologist is an all day event due to the drive. It also costs us almost $200 every time we go in to this doctor. Every appointment that he has means more missed time in school for him and work for me. He has learning problems so he needs to be there as much as possible. We already have many medical bills so we can't add another $200/month. Please think about the kids!

I also forgot to say that many of our pediatric endo doctors are hard to get appointments with now! There aren't very many of these docs available for our kids. I can't imagine how this will further burden them with more appointments and families trying to get appointments scheduled.

Passing this bill will put an undue burden on families with children with growth hormone related syndromes. These families are already dealing with a multitude of issues including health, school, and disabilitites while trying to maintain some semblance of a family life. Having the added expenses and more doctor visit time creates more of a burden then they already have to deal with! There are also not enough endocrinologist appointments available to have to see them montly for a new prescription. I understand that there is abuse of growth hormone out there, but punish those who abuse, not those who need it to try and have a normal life. We are having to fight for these children everyday, do not make us have to fight harder! The celebrities/athletes abusing the drug will still find the illicit resource regardless if this bill is enacted. It is only punishing those of us who truly need the drug! My son has been on growth hormone injections for 9 years. Please do not take our way of life away from us.

Senators you must not allow this bill to pass. My son has sga and fasting hyopoglycemia. He can not live without his daily shots. By passing this bill you will make it unaffordable for me to obtain his prescriptions as he will have to get them every 30 days. My insurance copays will become so expensive. In addition, my son will be labeled at school and not participate in sports. The summer camp will not give shots of a controlled substance. Basically this bill limits his life, and ruins his normal childhood. You MUST FIND ANOTHER WAY TO SOLVE THE ABUSE BY ATHLETES. My son is one of over $1,000,000 children like this, why should his life be affected so severely because of a Senate bill. Can you please be more creative and find a real solution to abuse of prescriptions by a few. Or will you allow the few to ruin it for those sick children who have done nothing to deserve this.

Please vote NO for bill S.877! I have had the opportunity to get to know a little boy who relies on hGH to grow and regulate his body. It would take me all day to describe what his parents have been through to keep him alive and obtain his medicines as it is now, and classifying hGH as a controlled subtance will not only add difficulty, but could put his life in jeopardy if the supply is interrupted for even 30 days. He already has to fly to his doctor every 90 days and this reclassification will require him to fly to his doctor every 30 days, which will add a huge financial burden to his family.

Please do not make this little boy's life more difficult and the millions of other people who NEED hGH. Vote NO!

Please Vote NO to bill S.877. My son take hGH, since he was 2 years old, he is now 7 years old. This drug is not only to help him grow but to support brain function, and muscle development to help him function and perform normal everyday activities.
I agree we need to stop the ABUSE of this drug, but limiting the availability by making it a controlled substance is not the answer. Those who want to get it illegally will and it will hurt our children.
Please if you care about children, VOTE NO...There has to be another way....


Laura R
Orlando Fl

Please vote no to s.877. Let's not let those who abuse HGH for vanity or athletic purposes punish those who need HGH for medical reasons.

I beg you to PLEASE vote NO to Bill S.877. My son was born weighing 1 1/2 lbs. He has a very serious and rare growth disorder and, at the age of 3 1/2 only weighs 24 lbs. and is 34 in. tall. He is just about to start GHT. It is not just about him being small. His muscle development is compromised as well. Please make the necessary provisions to this bill to protect our children!

Our precious niece, Elena, was born with Turner's Syndrome in Feb. 2007.She will soon need to receive HGH and this bill will complicate her treament plan, as well put a financial burden on her parents. Babies with Turner's depend on HGH for a healthy, normal lifestyle.PLEASE do not punish those innocent patients who are not using HGH for vanity or enhancement purposes. VOTE NO- MLB seems to have really shed an unfortunate light on HGH, but do not forget the real, true medical needs of many who are falling victim to the fallout.
We ask you take a moment to closley examine this bill and what it will mean to many with medical needs.

Diane and Tim Rossi

PLEASE WAKE UP! We elected our senators to "look out for us" (ha ha ha). But honestly, they don't care because the limelight for "punishing the athletes" is greater than the extremely negative effect they will have on our kids - we aren't famous so frankly, I have begun to think it doesn't matter to these senators. HGH is not just for growth - let them come to my house (or anyone's house) to see the medicine and medical supplies that dominate our kitchen cabinet, to PT and OT appointments, to the endocrinologist, the genetecist, the GI, the ENT, the Ortho etc. ... and then let them have to learn to inject their affected childr or grandchild every day with GH to make them healthy. ONly then might they care.

I have been a registered pharmacist since 1951. Where were the senators sponsoring this bill been prior to the high level TV and print notoriety given to the high paid athletes. This bill sponsored by these senators who obviously have not investigated the impact it will make upon the thousands of children who depend on hGH for their very existence hoping to get to a point in their lives so they can function as uninhibited adults will be adversely impacted by turning hGH into a class 3 drug which will affect the availablility and cost of the medication to the families of the thousands of children who need this medication. My 8 year old grandson happens to be one of these children. The outlook for his life has turned positve because of the prescribing of this hGh by licensed practicioners, board certifed in their profession and positive that this is the only way to treat these children with this condition.
These senators should tend to the business of legislating good laws for the country and not dwelling on protecting the professional sports teams so that they do not get bad marks in the eyes of the public and cut down on their revenues. Shame on you senators...........protect the children.

I oppose the passage of bill s977 because it will represent an undue hardship for the pediatric patients suffering from growth abnormalities, Turner Syndrome, small for gestational age and many other conditions that depend on human growth hormone to improve growth and support health. This is a legitimate and indispensable treatment for many such conditions. Changing hGH to a controlled substance will imply additional hardships for these children and their families, making the medicines harder to obtain. There are 2 million of these kids.Don't take away their only treatment! Helen Venero, Miami, FL

Do you people really know what you are doing to the children and the families of the children, who suffer from growth disorders. Is it not bad enough that they have to live with this suffering on a daily basis, you are now intending to add to their hardship by making it more difficult for them to obtain life supporting medication. Shame on you.You must ask yourself "Is abuse of this medication so widespread that it calls for your harming all of these children and their families?" Please do not allow so many to suffer because of a few. Sincerely, V.HAYDEN

Bill S. 877 will reclassify human growth hormone (hGH) as a Schedule III controlled substance, which is pharmacologically incorrect . This bill is a reaction to abuse of hGH by a few highly paid athletes who choose to take it without a prescription. However, the deleterious effects of this bill on sick children who need growth hormone daily have been ignored. These children have done nothing wrong, but more than 2,000,000 will be victims of S.877.

Growth hormone helps children with brain tumors have a healthy hormone balance and it helps children and adults with rare syndromes and conditions. It also helps severely burned people heal. Children who were born with the syndrome Small for Gestational Age and, as a result, become Failure to Thrive, have a serious and life threatening medical condition which can only be normalized with hGH. Children with fasting Hypoglycemia may slip into a coma without continuous, uninterrupted use of hGH. Many of these victims will never be able to get the medical help, via hGH, that they need if the pending legislation becomes law.

Additionally, there is much misinformation regarding hGH. If a child needs hGH, it does NOT give them an unfair advantage over other children. It simply gets their body back to normal. It is like insulin to a diabetic. Without normal growth, their heart, lungs, bones, liver and many other serious bodily functions may be adversely affected. With the hGH shots, their bodies are normalized and they can become healthy children.

Upon review of S.877, the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, the Endocrine Society, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists have all agreed and requested that the Senators consider the deleterious effects that the passage of this bill will have on these children by labeling hGH as a controlled substance. In fact, the Lawson Wilkins representative, Dr. Alan Rogol, who testified before Rep. Waxman’s committee in February 2008, has requested that a hold be placed on the bill pending appropriate investigation and re-consideration of the bill. Please consider how medical research may be hampered by classifying hGH as a controlled substance.

It is important for you to understand that Schedule III drugs have 30 day limits on prescriptions in most states. As for the prescriptions, state laws that are more onerous than the Federal Statutes will be implemented. There are numerous examples of these states; New York, your home state, is one of them. Many of these children with rare syndromes have to FLY to their doctors. As a result, children and their families will be dramatically burdened financially. This is unfair and callous, and potentially a burden on the U.S. health care system

There is also the stigma attached for these innocent children, of having to declare their medication at schools, and for international travel. You must also imagine their future discrimination, if they can even play sports, and their inability to attend camps like most children as they will not be able to have anyone give them their daily shots.

Bill S.877 is a deterrent to acceptable and affordable health care. It will victimize children and label them unnecessarily. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW hGH TO BE A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

we do not agree with any bill that lists human growth hormone as a controlled substance or limits by Label any child’s medical needs particularly for children with rare grow syndromes and those born small for gestational age. The Bill will limit access TO CHILDREN WITH GRWOTH DISORDERS, AND RARE GROWTH SYNDROMES; the bill will have human growth hormone taken off for relabelling. It will make us go to the doctor every month and there is all ready a huge delay in our getting our prescriptions filled as it is. Children who take it will be Labeled at schools and summer camps and will have a very hard time traveling