ARLINGTON, Va. — The Healthcare Distribution Management Association on Tuesday honored Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., with its Rx Safety and Healthcare Leadership Award. The award recognizes public officials for their leadership and commitment to public policies that support and promote the safe and efficient delivery of medicines.

“Sen. Roberts understands and recognizes the need to ensure the continued safety and efficiency of our nation’s healthcare supply chain — and the important role HDMA distributors play in it,” stated HDMA president and CEO John Gray.

HDMA noted that Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, is a longtime advocate of policies that enhance the safety and efficiency of the healthcare supply chain, particularly in the area of prescription drug reimbursement. Along with Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Roberts is a primary sponsor of bipartisan legislation — S. 733 — to correct the treatment of prompt pay discounts under the Medicare Part B Average Sales Price reimbursement metric for prescription drugs and biologics. The legislation would enhance patient access to these medications and increase supply chain efficiencies that distributors provide to the healthcare system when serving physicians who participate in the Part B program.

The most recent Rx Safety and Healthcare Leadership Award honoree was Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, who is a co-sponsor of the companion House legislation to Roberts’ bill, H.R. 905.