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Medical Safety

What Is Your Antibiotics IQ?
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What Is Your Antibiotics IQ?

Test your knowledge about antibiotics by taking our interactive quiz.

 

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America’s doctors and healthcare facilities offer health products, therapies and treatments that were unimaginable 50 years ago. Continued progress depends on robust innovation and an efficient regulatory system that protects consumers by ensuring that drugs and medical devices are safe and effective.

The Pew Charitable Trusts works to protect the public by advancing solutions to ensure the safety of medical products and services. Our initiatives, including established programs on prescription drug safety, antibiotics and innovation, and Food and Drug Administration modernization, increase both government and corporate accountability. Our campaigns carefully assess health risks, promote safe practices, and strengthen federal laws and regulations. The work is grounded on sound science and pragmatic goals.

Medical Safety News & Resources

Pew Comment Letter to the Senate HELP Committee on Compounding Legislation

Issue Brief Jun 7, 2013 Drug Safety Project

Pew sent a comment letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the Pharmaceutical Compounding Quality and Accountability Act. This bill takes steps toward clarifying state and federal oversight of compounding, including an important increase in FDA supervision of certain activities—specifically, the compounding of sterile medicines that are shipped interstate.

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Letter from Pew to CMS Regarding Physician Payments Sunshine Act

Issue Brief May 30, 2013 Pew Prescription Project

Prescription project director Danny Carlat identifies issues with the Physician Payments Sunshine Act requiring further clarification and guidance. Addressing those would ensure that manufacturers can appropriately implement the final rule, and enable consumers to benefit from transparency reports published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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Letter from Pew to FDA on Postmarket Surveillance Plan

Issue Brief May 30, 2013 Medical Device Initiative
FDA recently updated the national medical device postmarket surveillance plan – listing device identification and registries as the cornerstones for effective product monitoring. In this letter, medical devices director Josh Rising applauds the agency for making unique device identifiers and registries central to this plan.
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''Lawmaker Would Give FDA More Oversight of Drug Compounding''

Media Coverage May 24, 2013 Drug Safety Project

Representative Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, on Thursday became the latest lawmaker to propose legislation that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration greater regulatory authority over drug compounding.

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Pew Testimony: Examining Drug Compounding

Issue Brief May 23, 2013 Drug Safety Project

On Thursday, May 23, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing, entitled "Examining Drug Compounding." Gabrielle Cosel, a drug safety expert, testified on the need to clarify oversight of compounding pharmacies on the state and federal level.

 

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''Senate Panel Approves Tighter Oversight of Compounding Pharmacies, but Bill is Under Fire''

Media Coverage May 23, 2013 Drug Safety Project

Public health and consumer advocacy groups are attacking Senate legislation designed to tighten oversight of specialized pharmacies such as the one at the center of this past fall’s deadly meningitis outbreak, saying it does not adequately address health risks.

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''Rep. Bob Latta's Plan to Thwart Fake Drugs Passes House of Representatives Committee''

Media Coverage May 17, 2013 Drug Safety Project
An Ohio legislator’s plan to establish a nationwide prescription drug tracking system to protect patients from fake drugs was approved by the House Commerce Committee. More

''Drug Manufacturer Agrees to $500 Million Penalty''

Media Coverage May 14, 2013 Drug Safety Project

''A subsidiary of India's largest pharmaceutical company has agreed to pay a record $500 million in fines and penalties for selling adulterated drugs and lying to federal regulators in a case that is part of an ongoing crackdown on the quality of generic drugs flowing into the U.S."

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''Community Pharmacies Will Now Back Supply Chain Legislation''

Media Coverage May 10, 2013 Drug Safety Project

"As differing bills for securing the pharmaceutical supply chain wind their way through the US House and Senate, a key hurdle to passing legislation may have just been cleared. Earlier this week, the National Community Pharmacists Association – which is a member of an influential industry coalition that has been floating its own proposals – is now willing to back either bill."

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''Senators Say They Are Close to Writing a Final Pharmacy Compounding Bill''

Media Coverage May 10, 2013 Drug Safety Project

"U.S. senators considering fundamental changes to how the practice of pharmacy compounding is regulated heard almost unanimous support for reform at a Washington committee hearing Thursday."

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