FDA Transparency Blog

Today, as the first phase of the agency’s Transparency Initiative, FDA launched a web-based resource called FDA Basics that provides basic information about the agency and how it does its work. Comments from the public, including on this blog, first suggested the idea that FDA provide basic information about the agency in a user-friendly, accessible format.  You can view the FDA Basics resource via a link in the “About FDA” section of the FDA home page, http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Basics.

The FDA Basics resource includes:

• Questions and answers about the agency and the products that the agency regulates
• Short videos that explain various agency activities
• Conversations with agency personnel about the work of their Office

In addition, different Centers and Offices in the agency will host online sessions where the public can learn more about a topic and ask questions to senior FDA officials about these topics.  Each of these sessions will be announced on the FDA website.

The Task Force is developing its recommendations for the Transparency Initiative in three phases.  The launch of FDA Basics represents the initial phase of the Transparency Initiative, to be followed by two additional phases.

In phase two of the initiative, the Task Force intends to make recommendations to the Commissioner regarding how to make information about agency activities more transparent, useful, and understandable to the public, in a manner compatible with the agency’s goal of protecting confidential information, as appropriate.

In the final phase of the initiative, the Task Force intends to make recommendations to the Commissioner regarding FDA’s transparency to regulated industries.

Visit the FDA Basics resource at http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Basics and let us know what you think.  You can suggest additional questions and rank how useful you found the answers we provided.  Feedback you provide may be used to improve the curriculum.

Afia Asamoah

Transparency Initiative Coordinator