Opinion: Budd and Tillis should protect rural North Carolina from more medical isolation
By Wayne Schaeffer- Bladen County Republican Party Chairman
Recently, rural Eastern North Carolinians have been put through the wringer. Many of us are still recovering from Hurricane Helene and trying to make ends meet after losing our homes and businesses. But while the storm rightfully got a lot of attention, there are other ways that life has become more difficult for rural communities here – particularly when it comes to accessing healthcare – and few people are paying attention.
Some of our rural health challenges have been long in the making, such as the increasing rate of pharmacy closures in small towns like Faison, Selma, and Tryon, which often lack other health professionals. We also struggle with a lack of broadband access, which prevents many of us from having digital appointments with our doctors or accessing other online health services. When it comes to healthcare, we feel increasingly isolated and left behind.
However, the federal government could worsen the problem, and that’s where we need our U.S. Senators, Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, to step in. Behind the scenes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been considering implementing two rules that would make it even harder for rural North Carolinians to stay healthy.
One of those rules would eliminate printed Prescribing Information (PI), which pharmacists use to help patients understand their medications. The other would make it harder for folks to receive printed Patient Medication Information (PMI), i.e., the pamphlet you get when you pick up a prescription that explains how to take the medication, what the side effects may be, and other important information. The FDA’s proposed rules would essentially force people to go online to view that information instead of automatically getting paper instructions at the pharmacy. It might not sound like a big deal to some, but it can be deadly serious for rural North Carolinians – who are typically older, have limited broadband access, and don’t have pharmacists in town.
While many people take it for granted, printed PI and PMI help millions of Americans stay safe. PI helps pharmacists counsel patients, and PMI provides patients with accessible information on dosage, potential side effects, and interactions with other medications. For patients managing chronic conditions—such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease, which are prevalent in North Carolina—this information is vital.
Consider what might happen when an older North Carolinian living in the country doesn’t have printed instructions about their medications. Under the FDA’s proposal, they would likely have to scan a QR code to follow instructions online. If they have a smartphone and technology skills, which is a big ‘if’, they still need reliable internet service to access the information. That’s simply not the reality for many folks in rural North Carolina. Around 1.1 million households in the state either lack access to high-speed internet, cannot afford it, or lack digital literacy skills to use the internet effectively. This disparity is particularly problematic in rural areas, where approximately 21.4% of residents lack broadband access. For many North Carolinians, accessing digital-only medication information wouldn’t just be inconvenient – it would be nearly impossible.
It’s a classic example of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., making up rules and regulations with little understanding of how life really works in places like Faison and Tryon. But the FDA is plowing ahead anyway. Even with President Trump in office and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) taking over, this issue continues to go under the radar, which is why we need Senators Tillis and Budd to stop the FDA in its tracks.
Fortunately, a bipartisan bill would restore some common sense at the FDA. The Patients’ Right to Know Their Medication Act would ensure that every prescription includes FDA-approved, printed Patient Medication Information. It would ensure that the instructions are easy to understand and include all of the information people need. And, importantly, it would ensure that we all get a physical copy when we get our prescriptions.
Senators Tillis and Budd should introduce the bill in the Senate. With so much going on in Washington taking up everyone’s attention, Senators Budd and Tillis can show they won’t let FDA bureaucrats sneak through more regulations that would upend our lives.
This misguided bill would also jeopardize the ability of building companies to fully comply with vital safety guidelines and regulations. Building codes are crucial for engineering, architecture, and construction firms, referencing them to comply with strict safety standards while delivering projects on time and with efficiency. Yet, by passing the PRO CODES Act, Congress would give private entities the ability to restrict access to these essential codes in order to prioritize their profits, ultimately delaying construction and jeopardizing public safety.
At the judicial level, the Supreme Court has consistently upheld that no private entity can claim copyright over the law. If enacted, the PRO CODES Act would directly violate this legal precedent, effectively limiting access to our nation’s laws to the highest bidders. We cannot allow this to happen and must call on our members of Congress to take action.
Our state’s congressional delegation must make every effort to oppose the PRO CODES Act. We cannot allow Washington to grant private organizations the authority to copyright our nation’s laws. Doing so jeopardizes the civil liberties of citizens across North Carolina and compromises our ability to access critical building codes, putting the safety of our infrastructure at risk.
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