FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       CONTACT: (Burton) Nick Mutton - 202.225.2276

JUNE 8, 2005                                                     (DeFazio) Kristie Greco - 202.225.6416

- LEGISLATION PROVIDES CRITICAL ACCESS TO
COMPLIMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL TREATMENTS -

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressmen Dan Burton (R-IN) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced their updated Access to Medical Treatment Act (AMTA), H.R. 2792, today.  The AMTA guarantees patients the freedom to choose complimentary and alternative medical treatments, prescribed by their licensed health care practitioners, including treatments which may not yet have completed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) lengthy and expensive approval process. 

"Every year, thousands of Americans are diagnosed with a serious chronic or terminal medical condition," Congressman Burton stated.  "Unfortunately, for many patients, traditional FDA-approved pharmaceuticals and treatments are simply ineffective or offer only limited relief.  We are introducing this legislation to finally open up our health care system to alternative treatment methods that can enhance conventional treatment options, generate new approaches and techniques for treating illnesses, as well as potentially lower health care costs."

Congressman Peter DeFazio added, "Americans are painfully aware of the outrageous cost of health care and prescription drugs in this country.   Complementary and alternative medicine offers affordable and effective treatments for a host of chronic illnesses and other medical conditions. I want to get the thousand-pound gorilla known as the FDA off of the backs of people who want access to beneficial alternative and complementary health treatments without compromising the public's safety."

The AMTA ensures patients have access to safe and effective treatment therapies through a carefully controlled and monitored system whereby only three categories of drugs and devices would be allowed: (1) those that are undergoing FDA approval that have limited patient access; (2) treatments approved for use in selected foreign countries, but are not yet approved by the FDA; and, (3) non-patentable natural substances with proven pharmacological treatment value. 

Moreover, the AMTA supports patient choice while maintaining important patient safeguards in the following ways: (1) requires individuals who administer alternative and complimentary treatments to be licensed physicians or practitioners and requires the treatment to fall in their scope of practice; (2) requires patients to sign a thorough informed consent document; (3) establishes reporting requirements for alternative and complimentary drugs and medical devices; (4) prohibits any advertising claims by health care providers, manufacturers, or distributors about unapproved drugs and devices.

For more information regarding Congressman Burton's healthcare policies and investigative initiatives, please visit his website at www.house.gov/burton.

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