Monday, August 14, 2006
The FDA is Overwhelmed by All the Drugs it Has Approved
A new report in the Wall Street Journal shows that the FDA is unable to keep track of all the drugs it has approved. The FDA’s approved drug list has risen from 36,000 drugs in 1990 to over 123,000 in 2005. An insepction by the Department of Health and Human Serivces found that the directory failed to list 9,000 current medications and listed 34,200 that were no longer on the market or listed in error. How can the FDA possibly keep track of adverse drug events when it can’t even keep track of the drugs?
Update: On August 23, 2006 the FDA proposed a rule to require drug companies to file all information electronically and submit updates every six months. While this is a good idea, in typical government style, it will take months before the plan is implemented.
