As part of the Obama administration’s efforts to improve transparency in government, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is releasing inspection records and citations for misleading advertising.
The FDA recently released a database detailing manufacturing inspections conducted from Oct. 1, 2008, to Sept. 30, 2010. Agency spokesperson Tamara Ward said the database will be updated every fiscal year. The database includes the names and addresses of all medical product manufacturing companies that have been inspected, the purpose of the inspection, the date of conclusion and whether the findings prompted additional action by state or FDA officials.
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The FDA also plans to share letters issued to companies warning them of illegal medical product promotions. A plan to disclose drug rejections that have been criticized in the industry also is under consideration. The FDA will have more information on this issue by the end of 2011.
A Bloomburg analysis revealed that more than half of all drug manufacturing plants in the United States were cited for violations during inspections last year—a 20 percent increase since 2007.