Senate committee urges federal consideration of international drug reciprocity after constituent testimony

Senators on the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee passed SCR 11 on a voice vote after testimony from County Judge Robert Griffin and sponsor Sen. James Sturch.

Sen. James Sturch, sponsor of the resolution, told the committee the measure asks Arkansas’s federal delegation to pursue international reciprocity agreements so Americans can access drugs and treatments used successfully abroad. "This simply would encourage our congressmen, to also look at international reciprocity agreements where drugs have been, tested and tried and are being used in Europe or other countries," Sturch said.

County Judge Robert Griffin described his personal effort to obtain lutetium‑177 for metastatic prostate cancer, saying the treatment "exists all over Europe, Argentina, and other places, but they're only doing studies here through the FDA." Griffin said pandemic travel limits and the time required for FDA pathways created access barriers for Arkansans who cannot travel for care.

Dismissing questions from the committee, the chair called for a motion; the committee approved the resolution by voice vote. No public testimony was recorded for or against the resolution during the committee hearing.

The committee’s action is advisory: SCR 11 asks congressional representatives to consider reciprocal pathways for treatments approved or in widespread use in other countries. The resolution does not change state medical licensing or Medicaid coverage and contains no implementation language.