FDA News
Without a Fiscal Cliff Deal, Budget Cuts Will Affect Medicare, FDA, CDC
As the end of the year nears, Democrats and Republicans still are negotiating how to balance the budget in 2013. If they don’t reach an agreement, a set of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes that will impact health care will go into effect in January. Widespread Impact Kaiser Health News recently explained where the [...]
Supplements Bypass FDA Approval, Putting Consumers at Risk
U.S. consumers spend billions of dollars each year on dietary and herbal supplements — and many do not understand the risks of doing so. Now, the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services is calling for more stringent regulation of these substances. “Many people think that because herbs are natural, and because [...]
Energy Drinks Linked to 13 Deaths, but Who’s to Blame?
Caffeinated energy drinks may give people more than an energy rush. Between 2004 and 2009, federal officials received reports of 7,000 emergency room visits associated with caffeinated energy drinks, and last week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that up to 13 deaths may be connected to two energy products: Monster Energy and 5-Hour [...]
FDA Cracks Down on Thousands of Illegal Online Pharmacies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced recently that more than 18,000 illegal pharmacy websites were shut down in one week as the agency worked with law enforcement agencies in more than 100 countries. The U.S. agency alone took action against 4,100 of those pharmacies as part of the fifth annual International Internet Week of [...]
White House Panel Recommends Accelerated Drug Approval Process
The United States could double the number of new prescription drugs available to consumers each year if it adopts an approach to more quickly review the medicines, a White House panel suggested Tuesday. The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) said the key to bringing more drugs to market is the utilization [...]
Inaction by Congress Could Delay Drug and Medical Device Reviews
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews of drugs and medical devices — such as hip implants and transvaginal mesh — could revert to a much slower pace in January, if Congress cannot agree on a federal budget and pass it. And, ultimately, that could mean more risks for the consumer, if there is not [...]