Final answer:
The 'L' in the FDA's A.L.E.R.T. tool stands for 'Look' and is part of a framework to ensure the security of the food supply. The FDA is responsible for ensuring public health by regulating various products for safety and efficacy, sometimes leading to lengthy drug approval processes that can adversely affect pharmaceutical companies and patients waiting for new treatments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The L in the A.L.E.R.T. tool created by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stands for 'Look' (Assure, Look, Employees, Reports, Threat). This tool is designed to help with the protection of the food supply. The FDA is a federal agency responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of various products, such as human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
By implementing regulations and oversight, the FDA works to ensure that only safe and effective medicines reach the market, which can require extensive testing by pharmaceutical companies. While this system protects the public from unsafe drugs, there are also anonymous losers who suffer due to the extended periods it can take for new drugs to be approved, which include both the companies facing high research and development costs and patients who are waiting for new treatments.