Senate Subcommittee Votes To Boost FDA Funding By 275 Million Dollars

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Also Included In: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 08 May 2008 - 14:00 PDT

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In an important first step towards achieving increased funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), members of a Senate appropriations subcommittee approved an additional $275 million in appropriations for the agency.

The additional resources would provide a significant boost to the FDA's ability to monitor drug safety. The nearly $100 million earmarked for medical product and drug safety activities would allow the agency to implement many new drug safety initiatives required by the recent Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act, including pediatric drug and device safety, post-market study commitments, and improved drug surveillance and labeling.

The proposed funding increase would also allow the FDA to improve its information technology systems to more rapidly identify adverse drug events and strengthen its ability to conduct inspections of foreign and domestic medical product facilities as well as examinations and lab analysis of imported medical products.

ASHP is an active member of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, a broad group of patient groups, consumer advocates, biomedical research advocates, health professionals and industry officials, who work to assure the FDA has sufficient resources to protect patients and consumers. The Society participated in a lobby day activity last month to make the case to legislators about the need for additional funding.

A similar proposal will be considered this week by the House of Representatives.

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists