Recent activity in the Senate on S. 877, “Controlling the Abuse of Prescriptions Act of 2007,” brought into question the potential future classification of human growth hormone (HGH) as a controlled substance. The bill, introduced in March 2007 by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), would add HGH to the list of schedule III controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act.

Although the potential existed that a vote would take place on March 3, 2008, after hearing from several professional societies—including The Endocrine Society—about the potential unintended consequences for patients, Senator Schumer has agreed to reassess the bill to try to address these concerns. Although the Society believes that HGH should only be used for clinically approved treatments, questions remain whether a change to a schedule III controlled substance may result in limiting patient access to the drug and physicians’ ability to prescribe the drug. The Society will continue to work with Senator Schumer’s office to ensure that the concerns of the Society’s membership are addressed in the new language. For further information on S. 877, please contact Stephanie Kutler of the Society staff at skutler@endo-society.org.