We’re Speaking Out on Health Issues

NCHR scientists and health policy experts provide written and oral statements on a wide range of topics.

Here are many of the ways we have been Speaking Out on Health Policy Issues for the last few years. Whether the topic is legislation intended to cure diseases, proposed bans on BPA or other chemicals that disrupt your hormones, the importance of including women, people of color, and patients over 65 in clinical trials, or many other topics, you’ll gain a better understanding of our evidence-based analyses by reading these letters, statements, and testimony.

Here are the ways we have been Speaking out on Medical Treatments and Products, such as prescription drugs and medical devices that the FDA is considering approving, or is considering taking off the market because of serious risks. Whether the topic is Chantix, Addyi, Yaz, Essure, or medical products you’ve never heard of, you can find out more about what is known and not known about the safety and effectiveness of a wide range of products by looking through this section of our website.

Here are our Statements and Positions on issues that affect you.

NCHR Letter to Congress Supporting Reauthorization of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)

September 12, 2019. If the United States is to regain the stature of offering a top-notch healthcare system that is the model for other countries and make the most of our considerable investment in personalized and precision medicine, PCORI must be sustained.

NCHR Comments on USPSTF’s Draft Recommendation Statement on Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults

October 7, 2019. We agree with the USPSTF draft that current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of wide-spread screening for cognitive impairment in older adults who do not have recognized signs or symptoms.

NCHR Testimony on Singulair and Neuropsychiatric Side Effects

September 27, 2019. Singulair has serious side effects and we need much better data to determine the likely benefit and risk of harm for patients. FDA has an important role to play in encouraging this research. In the meantime, patients, parents, and clinicians must be given clear information about the risks so that they can make an informed decision about whether to use montelukast (Singulair).

NCHR Comment on USPSTF’s Draft Recommendation Statement on Screening for Hepatitis C Infection

September 23, 2019. In general, we support the USPSTF draft recommendation related to HCV screening in adults; however, we are concerned about the potential for anxiety, stress, and other psychological harms for patients who are diagnosed with HCV but cannot afford to obtain treatment.

NCHR Testimony on Non-Prescription Nicotine Mouth Spray

September 18. This nicotine mouth spray has already been approved in several other countries, but that doesn’t mean that it is good product for the U.S. If we’ve learned anything from the Juul and vaping epidemic, it is that anything that delivers nicotine over the counter or online can be misused.