Posted on 06/15/2012 12:41:20 PM PDT by grundle
President Obama's Food and Drug Administration has caused "a public health crisis" -- a prescription drug shortage over the past two years -- by increasing the number of threats issued to raid and close drug manufacturing plants, according to House investigators.
"This shortage appears to be a direct result of over-aggressive and excessive regulatory action," House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said in a statement. "These drugs can save lives and keep people who need them living healthy lives. The FDA is failing to ensure the availability of quality products."
President Obama signed an executive order last year to help the FDA anticipate drug shortages while knocking Congress for failing to pass his preferred legislation on the issue. "Congress has been trying since February to do something about this," Obama said in November. "It has not yet been able to get it done . . . we can't wait."
The committee report concluded that a significant portion of the drug shortage is a problem of the Obama administration's making. "Among shuttered manufacturing lines that occurred over the previous two years, the committee’s review did not find any instances where the shutdown was associated with reports of drugs harming customers," the report says, noting a 30 percent drop in the manufacture of certain prescription drugs at the largest manufacturers in the country.
Instead, the drug shortage crisis began in 2010 after the FDA began sending letters to companies found to be in violation of a given rule, in which the company was warned that "failure to promptly correct these violations may result in legal action without further notice including, without limitation, seizure and injunction."
The FDA sent just 474 such letters in 2009, but that number spiked to 1720 in 2011. "A common sense approach to regulations must be restored at the FDA," the committee report advised, calling for more targeted measures to induce company compliance with regulations. "Agency protocols should be revised so that the agency is required to consider the implications of its actions on the nation’s supply of critical drugs."
Can anyone say “Exedrin Migraine”...I wondered at the time why they yanked the whole product off the line, now I know.
Just another facet of Obama’s fanatic authoritarian agenda to take over control of the medical industry — and our lives. Nothing new here. Pray that the SCOTUS sees the light and trashes Obamacare.
I believe that fool does these things just to spite the American public and try to make life miserable for those of us he hates.
Extorting campaign contributions, most likely.
At the hospital where my wife works, they recently had a shortage of MORPHINE! How in the world is that even possible?!?! It has to be one of the most plentiful drugs, and virtually any pharmaceutical can manufacture it. Hell, most people could probably make it in their garage, if given the ingredients. The hospital pharmacy had to turn to local pharmacies to buy it.
During recent times, I’ve come to learn that when things are going on that make no sense at all, either the government or a union is involved. Most likely the government in this case.....
Results of the Obama Gestapo mindset.
I’ve noticed over the years the Democrats, and especially apparent with this clown currently in the WH, and his minions a “ruler” mentality, or as in plural “they” see themselves as the “ruling class”.
We are just serfs. We must obey.
November has to be a clear, concise message to our would be “rulers”.
I know I’d feel more positive if I knew some efforts were in place to upgrade Leavenworth in preparation for this current crowd’s incarceration in 2013. OH! due process of course!
“At the hospital where my wife works, they recently had a shortage of MORPHINE!”
Can’t they just go out into the neighborhood streets and get some? Probably cheaper, too.
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