In the News

FDA Forms Transparency Task Force

Jul 14, 2009

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has formed a Transparency Task Force to develop recommendations on how to make information on the Agency's activities and decision-making process more readily available to the public. FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein, M.D. will chair the task force, and members will include center directors, the associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, chief scientist, and the chief counsel.

FDA stated in a press release that the Transparency Task Force will:

• Seek public input on issues related to transparency;
• Recommend ways that the agency can better explain its operations compatible with the appropriate protection of confidential information;
• Identify information the FDA should provide about specific agency operations and activities, including enforcement actions and product approvals;
• Identify problems and barriers, both internal and external, to providing useful and understandable information about FDA activities and decision-making to the public;
• Identify appropriate tools and new technologies for informing the public;
• Recommend changes to the FDA's current operations, including internal policies and guidance, to improve the agency's ability to provide information to the public in a timely and effective manner;
• Recommend legislative or regulatory changes, if appropriate, to improve the FDA's ability to provide information to the public; and
• Submit a written report to the commissioner on the Transparency Task Force's findings and recommendations.

The Transparency Task Force held its first public meeting on June 24. Among the issues upon which FDA sought comments was how the Freedom of Information Act process can be improved. The public can also comment to the Agency at the FDA Transparency Blog.

FDA noted that the establishment of the task force follows President Obama's Jan. 21, 2009 memorandum directing executive agencies to find new ways of making information available to the public rapidly and in a form that is easily accessible and user-friendly. (A copy of the memorandum can be found here.)