QandAs: Career

What Is The FDA?

Answer:
The FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, is an agency that works under the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The FDA has many different centers and offices, each with a different focus. The main focus of the FDA is protecting the public health, as well as advancing the public health by speeding innovations in health and nutrition technology, as well as public education outreach.

The FDA works to protect the public health by assuring the safety, quality, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, the food supply, cosmetics, and products that give out radiation. The FDA also works to improve the public health by working to speed up innovations to make medicines and food more effective, safer, and more affordable. They also work to educate the public with accurate science based information on how to use medicines and foods in order to improve their health.

When it comes to regulations, some of the specific responsibilities of the FDA include:
- Biologics: product and manufacturing facility licensing, safety of the blood supply, and research in order to establish product safety standards and improve their testing methods.
- Cosmetics: safety and labeling
- Drugs: product approvals, over the counter and prescription drug labeling, and drug manufacturing standards.
- Foods: labeling, safety of all food products (except meat and poultry), and bottled water.
- Medical Devices: premarket approval of new devices, settings manufacturing and performance standards, and tracking reports of malfunctioning devices and severe negative reactions.
- Radiation-Emitting Electronic Products: perform radiation safety performance standards for microwave ovens, television receivers, diagnostic x-ray equipment, cabinet x-ray equipment, laser products, ultrasound therapy equipment, mercury vapor lamps, and sunlamps; accrediting and inspecting mammography facilities.
- Veterinary Products: livestock feed, pet food, and veterinary drugs and devices.

The FDA does not regulate the following things: advertising (except for those associated with prescription drugs and medical devices), alcohol, consumer products, illicit drugs, health insurance, meat and poultry, pesticides, restaurants and grocery stores, and water.

The FDA is the oldest consumer protection agency in the United States. Its beginning can be traced back to the appointment of Lewis Caleb Beck in the Patent Office to perform chemical analyses of agricultural products. In 1930, it became known as its present name. The modern regulatory functions of the FDA began with the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act. The core public duty of the agency has never changed.


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