FDA enforcement efforts against drug companies in freefall failure, concludes inquiry

Tuesday, June 27, 2006 by: NewsTarget
Tags: the FDA, health news, Natural News

https://www.naturalnews.com/019480_FDA_drug_failure.html

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"Americans have relied on FDA to ensure the safety of their food and drugs for 100 years," Mr. Waxman said. "But under the Bush administration, enforcement efforts have plummeted and serious violations are ignored."

According to the inquiry, warning letters issued by the FDA have dropped 54 percent, seizure of mislabled, defective or dangerous products has dropped 44 percent, and its device center has seen a 65 percent drop in enforcement actions over the five-year period, despite a wave of defibrillator and pacemaker complaints.

Research conducted at Waxman's request turned up no evidence that the declining numbers were tied to increased observance of FDA laws and guidelines. David K. Elder of the agency's Office of Enforcement said the office had been increasingly focused on more serious violations.

A statement issued by Elder said, "As a result of FDA's focus on those firms and those violations that present the highest risk to consumers and public health, the agency has taken prompt, targeted and aggressive action against firms that are in violation of law."

According to Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of the Health Research Group at the watchdog organization Public Citizen, the FDA currently receives about $380 million each year from the same drug makers they are charged with protecting consumers from.

"The public is getting the kind of FDA that the [drug] industry is paying for them to get," he said.

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