ACT NOW TO KEEP BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES AVAILABLE

Save Your Freedom to Choose the Hormones that Work Best for You

When giant drug company Wyeth petitioned the FDA last year to stop compounding pharmacies from making bioidentical (natural) hormones, the FDA received tens of thousands of letters, e-mails and phone calls from women and health care professionals saying, “Don't even try to take away natural hormones!” (Can you imagine a million menopausal women marching on Washington?) That thinly veiled attempt at destroying the competition was tabled.

This Legislation is Unsafe at Any Speed
Now we have the Safe Drug Compounding Act, another attempt to manipulate the FDA and now Congress to go after compounding pharmacies, which fill millions of prescriptions a year for bioidentical hormones. The bill, soon to be put to a vote in committee, is designed to limit and restrict compounded medicines—meaning medicines not necessarily made by drug companies.

Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) is drafting the legislation, and Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Richards Burr (R- North Carolina) are supporting him. This legislation will put the FDA in control of which compounded medicines can be prescribed by your doctor, made by the compounding pharmacies, and used by you. Bioidentical hormones are surely one of the big targets of this bill. Do you want the FDA deciding which hormones you are allowed to take? They certainly haven't kept us safe so far. This bill doesn't even have a number yet, but it's reportedly scheduled to be presented to committee for a vote on March 28, so please take a few minutes and act now!

The most powerful action you can take is go to the website of the US Senate, follow the easy instructions to find your Senators, and write them an original letter in your own words describing your experience with bioidentical (natural) hormones—or any other compounded medicine. If your hormones are made by a compounding pharmacy, mention that. If you've switched from PremPro or other conventional HRT, mention that as well.

Tell your story as simply as possible:

It doesn't have to have perfect grammar or spelling.

Make it short and to the point.

Refer to the Safe Drug Compounding Act of 2007 sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy

Remind them of your right to take the medicine that works best for you.

If you want a little more help, go to the P2C2 website, which is affiliated with the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacies. There you'll find more information about the bill and a form to fill out that will automatically provide your members of Congress. It will help if you send the same e-mail to Senator Kennedy.