The Union of Concerned Scientists will be releasing a survey today of FDA employees, designed to see how effectively they can do their jobs (that’s keeping the bad stuff unapproved and letting the good stuff through, btw). Not surprisingly, they found conflicts of interest and impediments to dutiful reporting aplenty. From the press release…
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) will release a survey of nearly one thousand Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists that demonstrates widespread and dangerous political and commercial interference at the agency. Because the FDA regulates many products including food, drugs, vaccines, medical devices and cosmetics, these findings have implications for every American. FDA scientists report being asked to alter their findings for non-scientific reasons, experiencing inappropriate commercial influences on their work, and being afraid to publicly express concerns about public health for fear of retaliation. Speakers at the press conference will include a former FDA scientist, a private citizen who has lost a family member due to a dangerous anti-depressant, and the director of UCS’s Scientific Integrity Program. This will be the third survey of scientists at federal agencies UCS has released.
So, the UCS is concerned about something…shocking. No doubt things are fishy at the FDA, but the UCS always comes off like the bitter guy in the back of the meeting who complains about everything. As such, it makes their valid points a little easier to dismiss on the grounds of “but you’re always complaining.” Specifically, the word “concerned” just rings a little sour in our ears…maybe because that’s how those around us oft described themselves in response to our actions growing up.
Either way, feel free to jump on over to the Union of Concerned Scientists for some very disquieting information.