FDA

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new online tool as the first step in a three-part TransparencyInitiative to betterexplain agency operations,its decision making process andits drug approval process to the public.

The web-based 'FDA Basics' resource includes questions and answers about the agency and the products that it regulates, short video conversations with FDA personnel, and online sessions conducted by senior FDA officials who will answer questions on various topics.

FDA'sTransparency Initiative was launched with the strong support of the Department of Health and Human Services in response to the Obama Administration's commitment to an unprecedented level of openness in government.

'This initiative will make information aboutFDA more user-friendly and accessible to the public,' said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret Hamburg. 'It fosters a better understanding about what we do.'

The next stage of the Transparency Initiative, which was formulated using information gathered through a public docket, an online blog and two public meetings, will consist of recommendations to the commissioner about how to make information about FDA activities more transparent, useful, and understandable to the public while protecting confidential information.

Stage three will involve the FDA's internal task force addressing the agency's transparency to regulators.

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