Americans for Affordable Products Calls on Utah’s
Congressional Delegation to Protect Consumers and Businesses
Urges Chairman Hatch and Senator Lee to Protect Utahns From The Harmful Repercussions of the Border Adjustment Tax
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – On Thursday, February 9th, Americans for Affordable Products (AAP), a coalition of well over 150 businesses and trade associations united to stop the Border Adjustment Tax (BAT), and its resulting higher prices on everyday necessities, held a press conference urging Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Senator Mike Lee to protect their constituents from the harmful repercussions of BAT.
To date, Senator Hatch has raised concerns on the issue about the proposed plan in the U.S. House. Given Senator Hatch’s leadership role as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, we are encouraged that after studying this provision he will reach the conclusion that the proposal is bad for Utah and bad for the U.S. economy. Going further, Senator Lee is worried BAT “could ravage huge swaths of our economy.”
“We urge Senator Hatch to lead on tax reform to ensure that our economy grows and creates jobs; however, including the Border Adjustment Tax in any tax reform package will seriously jeopardize the prospects of implementing these much needed reforms,” said Dave Davis, President of Utah Retail Merchants Association. “Senator Hatch has the opportunity to save tax reform and ensure policies are implemented in the tradition of Ronald Reagan. We also thank Senator Mike Lee for his defense of Utah consumers against this misguided tax policy and his willingness to protect the household budgets of average Utahns.”
The BAT is a component of the U.S. House Republican tax reform proposal, and will significantly hurt American consumers and the nation’s largest employers by increasing the cost of everyday products by up to 20 percent.
“Utahns expect their elected officials in Washington to work on meaningful tax reform now. However, the inclusion of a Border Adjustment Tax would seriously threaten the possibility for real reform,” said Evelyn Everton, State Director, Americans for Prosperity Utah. “We commend Senator Lee for his commitment to oppose this policy that would increase consumer prices and distort markets. We also applaud Senator Hatch for raising concerns and hope he ultimately opposes this policy and instead focuses on tax reform which produces strong economic growth.”
If enacted, BAT could increase prices on a wide range of basic, everyday items like food, gas and clothing.
Americans for Affordable Products is a coalition of job creators, entrepreneurs, business leaders and consumers united against higher prices on everyday necessities. To learn more, please visit: www.KeepAmericaAffordable.com.
Additional Information:
Compliance packaging is packaging that helps the patient take their medication as prescribed. This has worked in birth control, antibiotics and other drug regimen to improve medication adherence. Currently opioids are dispensed in a Child Resistant package like most other medications, but most of the studies show abuse starts from ages 6-26 and better packaging can improve household prevention of opioid abuse and it should be mandated as a preventative measure.
We call the campaign: Putting a lid on opioid abuse! to bring awareness to the problems families face with taking and keeping opioids in the household and how simple and inexpensive prevention can be.
Here is the list of what families should do if opioids are in the house.
✔ Measure time since last dosage - Impaired patients need a foolproof way to know time of last dosage to know when it time and safe to take another dose.
✔ Monitor usage to know when it’s safe to get behind the wheel.
✔ Manage medication in the bottles they are dispensed - Medication and labeling should be together for the highest level of patient safety in case of emergencies.
✔ Detection of household diversion - Know if someone has been in the medication.
✔ Deterrent of unwanted openings - A likelihood of being caught reduces the attempts to steal
✔ Proper Habits for taking medication as prescribed - Per the CVS Study the first 60 days determines long term adherence patterns.
This is a daunting task for families to figure out and this is where compliance packaging can assist.
We wanted to introduce you the simplest compliance packaging solutions that is already at every CVS and Rite Aid Pharmacies for $9.99. TimerCaps solve all of the above issues, with a easy way to remember when you last took your medication. The TimerCap is a cap with a built-in stopwatch. Every time you open up the cap, the timer stops counting and goes back to zero. This means the cap is not competing with labeling instructions, foolproof as it starts and resets every time its opened, simple enough for anyone to use without instructions and inexpensive. TimerCaps are inexpensive and have been proven to help patients take their medication as prescribed and is the perfect tool for opioid tracking and diversion detection. This keep medication and labeling in the container its dispensed in for maximum safety, keeping all vital information such as: patient, medication name, pill descriptions, dosage, side effects, warnings, prescribing doctor, pharmacy, and refill information. This makes it simple for easy identification of medications and time of last dosage in case of emergency. The timer counts up and lets you know if the medication was taken at the wrong time or if it was opened by someone else. The TimerCaps are offered in Child Resistant and Easy Twist and models to fit most pharmacy vials.
We also carry TimerCaps that come in a green bottle which is part of our Mary Jane Collection. With marijuana getting legalized recreational in 8 states, we are offering a TimerCap to let people know the last time they got high to figure out when to drive again or if someone else got into their stash. In Colorado there was a doubling of DUI fatalities and want to make sure people are more responsible when partaking before they get back on the same roads we all drive in.
Below is more information on how TimerCaps are one solution to prevent opioid abuses.
Here is why it’s important:
As doctors and pharmacies are being scrutinized, restrictions and unifying databases are being mandated, the main culprit is not being addressed. The patients that are mentally impaired by the opioids need tools for monitoring their last drug intake. What gets measured gets done, making the patient’s part of the solution from the beginning by giving them the right tools to be responsible with their drug intake. What we know for sure is that patients disorientated on opioids in traditional packaging and forced to find external means of tracking are not working.
Cognitively impaired patients need automatic timers that count up since last opened to let’s patient and caregivers truly monitor usage to prevent unintended abuse, household diversion detection, and to know when it is safe again to operate a motor vehicle. Opioid need to stay in containers they are dispensed in for maximum safety with all vital information such as: patient, medication name, pill descriptions, dosage, and side effects in case of an emergency.
Traditional dispensing in bottles with generic cap is analogues of giving a person an automobile without a speedometer. Sure they can read the posted speed signs but without a speedometer they have no way of knowing how fast or slow they are going so they can appropriately self-correct. They can only guess or find out when pulled over by enforcement, this is what is happening to opioid patients they are already impaired and have no way to track their last usage.
My name is Phillip Sugarman and I would like to offer you an opportunity to speak to Larry Twersky, the CEO of TimerCap LLC on this matter. Please let me know if you are interested. You can reach me at PSugarman@TimerCap.com or call me at 818-817-6906.
Below is a link to a video you can use that shows Larry Twersky, the CEO of TimerCap LLC explain why the TimerCap helps curb opioid abuse.
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