Opinion: The battle over hydroxychloroquine illustrates that the FDA all too often has to respond to political pressure instead of focusing on public health
, reporting directly to the president, in an Aspen Institute report.
The commissioners recommended that the FDA could have independent rule-making authority subject to selective oversight by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and OMB, and litigation authority in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice. The Federal Communications Commission and SSA offer two paths to increased budgetary independence at the FDA.
With the national economy, hospitals, and personal health of Americans under duress, the pressure is on the FDA to approve an effective Covid-19 treatment. The medical community is discovering new insights from the novel coronavirus at a breakneck pace, opening up a slew of possible therapeutics and innovations. But ultimately, products must be safe as well as effective.
Although the FDA is unlikely to ever be completely insulated from political pressure, making it an independent agency would help it navigate this and future pandemics, allowing it to keep its focus where it should be, on the protection and promotion of public health.
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