Former Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health at the FDA
Research Professor at George Washington University’ School of Public Health and Health Services; former Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health at the Food and Drug Administration who resigned her position in August, 2005 over the FDA’s refusal to grant approval to Plan B (morning-after pill) emergency contraception
Science, Politics and the Food and Drug Administration The mission of the Food and Drug Administration is protection of public health and welfare. To accomplish that, the agency regulates no less than one fourth of all consumer products sold in the United States. Despite the agency's approval yesterday to sell Plan B , the "morning-after" contraceptive pill over the counter, controversy over the FDA will go on for a long time. Religious conservatives claim the pill invites promiscuity and sexually transmitted disease. Women’s rights advocates don't like the age limit of 18. We hear those arguments and look at the broader debate about FDA's ability to protect public health and welfare. Are its decisions based on science or religion and ideology? Is it a captive of the wealthy and powerful interests it's supposed to monitor and control? (An extended version of this discussion originally aired earlier today on To the Point.)
Does Approval of Morning-After Pill Mean Change at FDA? The mission of the Food and Drug Administration is protection of public health and welfare. To accomplish that, the agency regulates no less than one-fourth of all consumer products sold in the United States. Despite the agency's approval yesterday to sell the " morning-after" pill over the counter , controversy over the FDA will go on for a long time. Religious conservatives claim the pill invites promiscuity and sexually transmitted disease. Women's rights advocates don't like the age limit of 18. We hear those arguments and look at the broader debate about FDA's ability to protect public health and welfare. Are its decisions based on science or religion and ideology? Is it a captive of the wealthy and powerful interests it's supposed to monitor and control?
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