There are not enough decades left in eternity to "fix" the FDA.
The FDA is hopelessly mired in its own nest.
It is hopelessly mired in drugmakers wanting their drugs approved NOW.
The FDA is hopelessly mired in drugmakers wanting a fast track to get their drugs on the market NOW, particularly when there are unusual diseases involved.
The FDA is hopelessly mired in politicians who are mired in lobbyists who are mired in their employers (drugmakers).
It was interesting to learn some time ago that drug lobbyists have the run of Congress's hallways, bathrooms, cloakrooms, swimming pool, exercise rooms and parking lots. Perhaps that has changed now, but it's doubtful at least to me.
The FDA is hopelessly mired in what they call the "Partnership with China."
Now, I don't know about most people, but I have no desire to see the FDA -- which is a U.S. taxpayer-funded group -- getting in bed with Chinese manufacturers presumably so they can help the Chinese improve their oversight of drugs you, the taxpayer, may be ingesting.
Here is a news flash for drugmakers: hire your own personnel for oversight purposes. Do not, I repeat, do not expect the American taxpayers to pick up the tab for you.
Personally I am sick to the point of regurgitation with relentlessly frequent notices from the FDA advising that another drug has been taken off the market because of some silly reason such as the fact that it it may cause death or blindness or some such foolishness.
Personally I am sick to the point of regurgitation with relentlessly frequent notices from CPSC that more toys, more tools, more heaters, more of just about anything, have been recalled because reasons such as an excess of lead or other frightening dangers. By digression, where did China get so much lead?
The interesting point is that the majority of these items are made in China.
The reason that these items are made in China is that the manufacturing is much less expensive in China than in the United States. The United States has such boring laws about lead content, etc., that manufacturers want to cut as many corners as possible to squeeze as many dollars out of U.S. citizens as they possibly can before they're caught.
So, somebody dies. Somebody is irreparably sickened. They can pay the freight on lawsuits because they've already made so much money monkeying around with China.
Today my husband and I looked for cans of crushed pineapple. There were many cans of pineapple of all descriptions on the shelves. They are still there. It gave me great pleasure to leave them. Why? They were made in China or Thailand. The cans can remain there for eternity for all I care. Not one was made in the U.S.A.
Just FYI, there is another study going on in connection with pet food made by a great many manufacturers. The FDA can tell you all about it.
Terence Jeffrey, in his column today "How many decades will it take to fix FDA?" brought on this rant of mine. You can find that column, if you have not already read it, at the following link. I truly appreciate Mr. Jeffrey's column.