A government monopoly over drug regulation is not sacrosanct. In fact, federal oversight--which vitally affects the availability of drugs to patients in need--is in shambles. The regulatory monopoly of the federal Food and Drug Administration has become, literally, overkill and actually threatens public health. Regulatory reform that introduces competition and incentives to get safe, effective drugs to patients can, however, transform the drug development process and reverse the current upward spiral of time and costs. The public will benefit directly by earlier access to greater numbers of less costly drugs and indirectly by greater robustness and productivity in the pharmaceutical industry.

The FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of foods, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and a variety of other products. These products account for 25 cents of every dollar US consumers spend. Under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDA is responsible for ensuring that these products are safe, accurately labelled, and in the case of drugs and medical devices, effective. FDA's tasks include: enforcement, pre-market product evaluation and approval, post-market surveillance and investigations, publishing of regulations, conducting and monitoring of research, public education, and regulating products and processes to prevent hazards to human health. Contents: Preface; Food and Drug Administration: Selected Funding Data; Food and Drug Administration: Selected Funding and Policy Issues; US European Agricultural Trade: Food and Biotechnology Issues; Food and Drug Administration: Selected Funding and Policy Issues; Food and Drug Administration Modernisation Act of 1997 -- The Provisions; Index.

A government monopoly over drug regulation is not sacrosanct. This hard-hitting book describes the current regulation of drugs by the FDA and proposes a model for fundamental, yet workable, reform--including an innovative proposal for drug testing and certification review.

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