The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been under surveillance as its credibility has fallen into question. Some critics have staked claims against the agency stating:
- Its system of regulating drugs is broken
- It approves drugs without thoroughly testing them
- It fails to keep tabs on unexpected side effects of drugs already on the market
- Due to the pressures of getting lifesaving drugs to consumers, it rushes drugs to the market
One unforgivable mistake the FDA made was when it suppressed information regarding risks associated with taking arthritis drug Vioxx. Since then, the agency has been pinned under the microscope. In fact, a poll was taken to determine how confident Americans are in the FDA and its ability to protect them.
The data showed:
- 70 percent of Americans remain confident in the FDA's ability to ensure the safety of prescription drugs
- Nearly 40 percent of Americans said their confidence in the FDA has decreased
Solutions to improve the quality of the FDA range from devising steps the president and Congress could take to improve drug safety, to forming an agency "that looks out for the health of patients and not just the health of the pharmaceutical industry."
In addition, some members of the Congress, leading scientists and an FDA insider agree that there is a need for a drastic "renovation" of how the agency monitors medications once they hit the market. One suggested method of doing this is to develop an FDA Office of Postmarket Surveillance to observe drugs, medical devices and biologics (products such as vaccines). This office will be independent of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, as well as the FDA divisions that review new product applications.
USA Today December 19, 2004