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Making Drugs Safe and Available without the FDA
Conclusion
"Congress should abolish the FDA and allow private organizations to certify drugs and medical devices"
The FDA badly needs reform. Consumers know it; manufacturers know it; Congress
knows it; even the FDA knows it. Almost any reform would represent an improvement
over the status quo. How do we best alter a vast system that has existed
for decades? A number of thoughtful and laudable proposals have been discussed
in Congress, most of them centered on making the FDA efficient and accountable.
However, the proposals all would preserve the FDA's insulation from consumers
and manufacturers. The FDA would remain subject to congressional pressure.
It would retain the power to prevent new drugs from entering the market
or could regain the power to do so.
Why not have real reform and turn the entire process over for private, third-party
certification? We would get safe and effective drugs, quickly and efficiently.
We would be free to choose our own level of risk. We would be able to relieve
pain without fear for our safety.
Thus the best reform is the most comprehensive reform. When the 105th Congress
undertakes FDA reform, the reform should be profound. Congress should abolish
the FDA and allow private organizations to certify drugs and medical devices.