Question

One responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration is:

Select one:
a) Regulating infection control
b) Approving over-the-counter medications
c)Creating standards for child-resistant packaging
d) Enforcing the laws surrounding illegal drug substances

Answer 1

The FDA's stringent regulations on medicine testing and approval protect the public but can delay drug availability and impose financial burdens on pharmaceutical companies, negatively affecting both patients awaiting new treatments and smaller firms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has numerous responsibilities to protect public health, including the regulation of pharmaceutical drugs. This includes overseeing the process by which medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, are tested, manufactured, and sold. Pharmaceutical companies may need to conduct extensive testing, which can span several years, to demonstrate a drug's safety and efficacy before it can be marketed to the public. Such regulations ensure that the medicines available in pharmacies are safe and effective, thereby protecting consumers from potential harm. However, an unintended consequence is that these strict medical regulations can delay the availability of potentially beneficial drugs, resulting in a 'loser' scenario for patients who might have benefited from early access to new treatments. Furthermore, this extensive testing can be financially burdensome on pharmaceutical companies, especially smaller firms, potentially stifling innovation and limiting consumer access to a wider range of treatment options.