2013

Could food safety be compromised by the budget cuts set to take effect today at the national level?  Although the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration says steps are being taken to ensure food safety, even she concedes that the agency will be strained under the new budget reductions.  She says that oversight will… read more

Two serious outbreaks of foodborne illness have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to keep a closer eye on the cantaloupe industry.  The items were responsible for two distinct outbreaks which took place in the past two years, incidents which led 400 people to become ill due to the presence of Listeria and Salmonella.  Three… read more

The budget cuts set to go into effect among various federal organizations Friday could have a marked impact on your ability to get safe and viable new drugs and medical devices.  That’s because the Food and Drug Administration, the agency responsible for the approval and subsequent monitoring of these items, would lose much of its… read more

The Food and Drug Administration is attempting to explain to consumers the risks of breast implants.  Concerned that many people out there are overwhelmed when it comes time to research the implants, the FDA hopes to provide various resources that one can consult in order to ensure their safety if they undergo an implant procedure. … read more

If you’re a parent, then it’s up to you to do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of your child or children.  But did you know that there’s something you can do to protect other kids all across the nation? When children suffer side effects from medication or a medical device, a parent’s first… read more

The Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration appears to be pleased with a recent report put together by the Institute of Medicine.  “Countering the Problem of Falsified and Substandard Drugs” attempted to bring to light just how dangerous that issue is, and it also offered recommendations that could be followed by regulators in order… read more

The Food and Drug Administration has released a report detailing their efforts to ensure that consumers know what they’re getting into when they purchase a product.  Consumers receive such assurances by the label affixed to the foods they consume, and when the FDA begins to suspect that a product might not contain what it purports… read more

Are you one of the many consumers who has gotten a tattoo, perhaps during a particularly wild night of partying, only to regret doing so either immediately or at some point down the line?  If so, you’re not alone.  Of the more than one in five people who have gotten some kind of tattoo, 14%… read more

In a recent report, the Food and Drug Administration explains the duties and the good work done by their Division of Drug Information.  Located in Silver Spring, Maryland, various experts and pharmacists in this branch of the FDA are tasked with responding to consumer queries and helping people figure out what to do in intense… read more

The Food and Drug Administration Commissioner is warning consumers of potential shortages of preventative flu shots and treatments like Tamiflu which aim to cut down on flu symptoms and aid recovery.  However, such shortages have thus far been reported only at the local level, and the FDA is doing what it can to get Tamiflu… read more

A new interview highlights the efforts of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Minority Health.  In it, the director of this branch of the FDA explains how her office attempts to analyze how medical items could have different impacts on certain minority sections of the population.  She points to warfarin as one drug that… read more

A number of drug items that are meant to help users overcome insomnia have received new recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration.  If you take such a drug, then you might want to read on. Zolpidem is the name of the drug that has prompted this additional FDA scrutiny.  The drug can be found… read more