Obama Orders FDA to Reduce Drug Shortages (Executive Order)

FoxNews.com ^ | October 31, 2011 | unattributed

[Hunton Peck]

Couldn't find any info in the article on how the FDA is supposed to do this, but I'm guessing it's not by any common-sense approach like reducing regulations, shortening approval times, or anything else that might actually be effective.

More likely, it's just another way to make noise about a supposed failure of capitalism.

[Paladin2]

Zer0 needs to start working on his rabbit-out-of-a-hat skillz.

[ConjunctionJunction]

To borrow from Milton Friedman:

If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there’d be a shortage of sand.

[denydenydeny]

Right after he orders the sea levels to subside.

[Texas Eagle]

Hooray! We’re saved! He loves us! He really loves us!

[Texas Eagle]

In remarks before he signed the order, Obama said drug shortages have nearly tripled over the past five years while Congress has foundered.

The past five years? Well, who's been running Congress for the past five year? Republicans have been running it for less than a year now. Who was running it before?

[Texas Eagle]

In remarks before he signed the order, Obama said drug shortages have nearly tripled

Nearly tripled? Interesting. Show me the math.

[tcrlaf]

most likely by issuing “Emrgency Orders” ending the patent rights of drugs declared to be “Critical, and in shortage.”, meaning the company hasn’t paid enough to the Democrats...

[knarf]

"Last year, the FDA reported 178 drug shortages -- mainly cancer drugs, anesthetics, electrolytes and emergency room drugs -- and the agency says it continues to see an increase in shortages this year"

I don't know if this is true or not, but it seems to me we're not far away from being third world.

[PGR88]

Obama Orders FDA to Reduce Drug Shortages

I feel its kind of like how Mao ordered the Chinese bureaucracy to squeeze more grain out of the already starving peasants.

I command it be so!

[Pharmboy]

[DManA]

Drop a ton of paperwork and red tap on the drug maker's heads. That'll be helpful.

The White House also announced Obama's support for House and Senate legislation that would require drug makers to notify the FDA six months ahead of a potential shortage. Under current regulations, drug manufactures are only required to notify the FDA if medically necessary drugs are being discontinued. Notification of shortages is strictly voluntary.

[Moonman62]

Something tells me we need less regulation, not more. He’s putting another burden on the drug companies, and an incentive to put capital elsewhere.

[ConjunctionJunction]

Yes, exactly.

[buccaneer81]

With the stroke of a pen he just made my job far more difficult and time-consuming.

[DManA]

I read the story twice and I don’t see how he expects the FDA to do this. The old White House magic wand.

[skr]

Hadn’t heard that one before—how true!

[matt1234]

Altas Shrugs

[Hunton Peck]

In searching for earlier posts of this article, I found a flurry of stories from last Spring about drug shortages. It almost looks like there are WH people assigned to search through news archives and find “problems” that 0bama can pretend to do something about, to get his pathetic approval ratings up.

[Clock King]

There will now be a shortage for sure.