Home | About Natural News | Contact Us | Write for Natural News
Search our 25,000 free articles and special reports
the FDA

FDA Failing the Public Over Medical Device Inspections

Thursday, September 11, 2008 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Key concepts: The FDA, United States and Medical devices

Email this article to a friend Printable Version  FREE Email Newsletter

Breaking News for Friday, January 09, 2009

     See all Breaking News...

FREE Natural Health Newsletter

Receive natural health product reviews, recommendations and alerts.
Instant download of 20+ free health reports and exclusive interviews.
Join over 1.2 million monthly readers.



Unsubscribe anytime, email privacy guaranteed


Products Related to This Article*

Revealed: Natural Health Solutions (free)
Free summary of book by Mike Adams
for learning censored natural health remedies

Free download: Selling Sickness (summary)
Read the best book on disease mongering
for learning the truth about Big Pharma

* Recommended by the Health Ranger.


Articles Related to This Article:

The FDA Exposed: An Interview With Dr. David Graham, the Vioxx Whistleblower

Mercury Fillings Shattered! FDA, ADA Conspiracy to Poison Children with Toxic Mercury Fillings Exposed in Groundbreaking Lawsuit

How the FDA is Becoming a Drug Company: Consumer Safety and Access to Natural Health Options Threatened
(NaturalNews) The FDA does not inspect medical device manufacturing plants as frequently as safety or the law requires, investigators from the General Accountability Office (GAO) have reported to Congress.

"Americans depend on the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical products, including medical devices, manufactured throughout the world," said GAO Health Care Director Marcia Crosse in her testimony to a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. "However, our findings regarding inspections of medical device manufacturers indicate weaknesses,"

The law requires that within the United States, plants that manufacture high-risk medical devices such as pacemakers be inspected once every two years, but the FDA is inspecting such plants only once every three years. Manufacturing plants outside of the United States are inspected only once every six years.

The law does not specify how frequently the FDA should inspect foreign plants.

According the GAO report, the low inspection frequency arises from a critical lack of funding, which has also led to infrequent inspections of foreign drug manufacturing plants.

A recent report from the FDA's science board warned that underfunding is causing the agency to fall behind on monitoring new scientific advances and emerging threats, such as nanotechnology.

The FDA is responsible for regulating most food and cosmetics sold in the United States, in addition to all drugs and medical devices. Altogether, the products that the FDA regulates account for 25 percent of the money spent in the United States each year.

Other witnesses told the House subcommittee that the FDA needs more funding to solve its problems. Former FDA chief counsel told Congress that the FDA's $2 billion annual budget needs to be doubled by 2010.

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach agreed that the agency needs more money, but said he prefers to identify "target areas" that need the funds, rather than just increasing the FDA's general budget.

"You don't just throw money [at the FDA]," von Eschenbach said. "It's as important to figure out how you're going to spend it."


Get articles like this delivered to you FREE in our popular email newsletter

Related CounterThink Cartoons:


Related Articles:

The FDA Exposed: An Interview With Dr. David Graham, the Vioxx Whistleblower

Mercury Fillings Shattered! FDA, ADA Conspiracy to Poison Children with Toxic Mercury Fillings Exposed in Groundbreaking Lawsuit

How the FDA is Becoming a Drug Company: Consumer Safety and Access to Natural Health Options Threatened

Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com

Email this article to a friend

Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us

Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/024152.html

Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.

Embed article link: (copy HTML code below):

Why green-lipped mussel oil makes krill oil obsolete

The Health Ranger has replaced fish oils, krill oil and flaxseed oil with THIS. What is THIS?

Click here to find out more

This is the 'new' marine omega-3 oil everyone is talking about. Click above to find out why.



Over 100 ways to survive and thrive during the unfolding economic crisis

This eight-CD audio seminar by the Health Ranger reveals hard-core financial protection strategies for surviving the next wave of the global financial crisis.

Click here to protect yourself now

"Guaranteed to deliver the most powerful financial protection advice you've ever seen or your money back!" - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger




Free Special Reports

How to Build Your Financial Safety Net
The 7 Principles of Mindful Wealth
The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D
The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance
Pet Food Ingredients Revealed! (shocking)
Medicine From Fish
The Water Cure

Recommended Products Related to This Article*:

Revealed: Natural Health Solutions (free)
Free summary of book by Mike Adams
for learning censored natural health remedies

Free download: Selling Sickness (summary)
Read the best book on disease mongering
for learning the truth about Big Pharma

Additional Products of Interest to All

Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL
Simply the best juicer in the world
for fast, easy juicing

Paraliminal Audio Courses
Powerful mind-enhancing audio therapy
for reprogramming your mind for a new future

How to Halt Diabetes in 25 Days
Health Ranger guide to reversing diabetes
for reversing type-2 diabetes

Boku Superfood
High-potency superfood powder
for preventing numerous diseases

Preparedness Tools Natural News Bundle
For preparedness and safety: 60% off
for preparing for natural disasters

Katadyn Exstream XR Water Purifier
#1 personal water purifier
for clean, pristine water in seconds

Healing Cancer From the Inside Out (DVD)
Amazing, eye-opening cancer documentary
for anyone wanting to know the truth on cancer

Zeitgeist: Addendum - Must-See Movie
A shocking documentary about money
for people who wan to know the real truth

The Genie In Your Genes by Dawson Church
A free, downloadable summary of this book
for learning about the biology of intention

Spirulina Pacifica
Pure, pristine spirulina superfood
for cancer prevention, alkalizing, immune func

The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
A free download of Biology of Belief
for learning about the mind-biology connection

Living Fuel SuperBerry Ultimate
Delicious superfood meal powder
for disease prevention, antioxidant boost

The Weiss Method for Heart Disease
How to reverse heart disease naturally
for heart disease, high cholesterol

Appetite for Profit (free download)
Free download summary of this top book
for discovering the truth about food companies

Hair Soap
A pure, simple and chemical-free shampoo
for washing hair without chemicals

Exposed! The Toxic Chemistry of Products
Free summary of this shocking book
for learning the truth about toxic products

Aloe Vera 100
Pure, dried 100% aloe vera gel flakes
for sludge blood, IBS, Crohn's disease

Katadyn MicroPur Water Purifier Tablets
The best water purification tablets
for purifying almost any water source

Vitamineral Green from Healthforce
Nutrient-dense superfood powder
for disease prevention, body alkalizing & more

Fucoxanthin with PinnoThin
Natural appetite suppressant
for obesity, overweight, overeating

Zyflamend
Powerful anti-inflammatory herbal formula
for arthritis, joint pain, inflammation

Nascent Iodine
Miraculous nascent iodine solution
for thyroid function, Alzheimer's, brain func.

Blood Support
Halts growth of cancer tumors
for breast cancer and all cancers

Amaz-a-Power
Amazing wild berry tincture from Peru
for eye & brain protection, cancer prevention

P-73 Oreganol
Potent source of wildcrafted oregano oil
for parasites, heart disease, immune func.

Ocean Minerals Pure Magnesium Oil
#1 product for magnesium therapy
for back pain, heart health, muscle health

MGC-5 Mushroom Extracts
Potent extracts of medicinal mushrooms
for reversing cancer, boosting immune function

Better Than Roasted - Macadamia Nuts
The most delicious raw nut spread ever
for heart health, circulatory health

* Products do NOT pay to be listed here. These are genuine, independent recommendations by the Health Ranger

☯ Products with this symbol are sold by NaturalNews or its affiliates and earn revenues for NaturalNews

Discover on NaturalNews NaturalPedia™

The FDA
United States
Medical devices

Also on NaturalNews:

Streaming Health Ranger Videos
CounterThink Cartoons
FREE Special Reports
Podcasts


This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2008 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.