What Is the Purpose of the FDA?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is responsible for providing protection to consumers of various products and advancing the public's health by supporting innovations that improve these products. It also assists in educating the public on topics associated with these to improve their health.
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History
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The FDA's roots go back to 1848 when Lewis Caleb Beck was given the job of providing chemical analysis of agricultural products in the Patent Office. The FDA became official, adopting the name and core responsibilities we know today, in 1930, but the department has been regulating food and drugs since 1906 when the Pure Food and Drugs Act, a law that prohibited interstate commerce of tainted and incorrectly branded food and drugs, was passed.
Regulations
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The FDA regulates a number of consumer products, including food, drugs, medical equipment, vaccines, animal and veterinary items, cosmetics, radiation-emitting items and tobacco. The FDA does not regulate such things as the advertising of products, alcohol, household products, health insurance, pesticides or water.
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Organization
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There are six centers within the FDA that focus on specific products. These include the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the Center for Tobacco Products and the Center for Veterinary Medicine.
The FDA runs one research center, the National Center for Toxicological Research, which provides scientific technology, training, and technical expertise.
The Office of Regulatory Affairs and the Office of the Commissioner, offer regulation enforcement and support the education efforts of the FDA.
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References
- Photo Credit pills and pill bottle image by Effie White from Fotolia.com
