FDA to Increase Access to Drug and Product Recall Information

 Posted on June 27, 2014 in Defective Drugs & Treatments

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that it is conducting a pilot program to expedite drug recall notifications in an effort to quickly and efficiently relay important information to the public. The Agency, according to the FDA, currently issues a weekly Enforcement Report for consumers to be informed about the risks posed by products on the market. And in April, the Agency released a report on how to increase public access to such enforcement reports to ensure public access.

To do this, the FDA appointed eight focus groups, as detailed in the 2014 Transparency Report, with each group representing a center of the Agency to ensure that no significant function was left unwatched. One such initiative to come out of the focus groups was the decision that all agency groups will now, and moving forward, submit information electronically, and keep all electronic information stored in one place. This thus establishes "a single authoritative source for facility identifying information" and ultimately makes it easier for consumers to know where to look to check on product recalls, and also where to submit information. The FDA relies on consumer reports to stay on top of all the different products and services it regulates. Ensuring that consumers know where to go, as well as an ease to report faulty products, makes it easier for the FDA to do its job.

The utilization of social media channels to make such announcements and to help increase consumer awareness of product recalls and defective devices is another initiative undertaken by the FDA. The Agency's centers and offices presently share "compliance and enforcement information with the public" through a variety of social media outlets, according to the 2014 Transparency Report.

If you or someone you know has been affected by a defective medical device or product recall in Illinois, the best thing to do is to seek the counsel of an Illinois defective drug attorney. Contact Newland & Newland, LLP for a free phone consultation today.