Many people think the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) role is limited to licensing new drugs and medical devices, but it actually has a post-marketing role as well. Doctors and hospitals all round the US are required to report any and all adverse side effects to drugs. It’s not uncommon to find that drugs can pass through clinical trials involving only thousands of participants, but show side effects when millions start taking them. Obviously, many problems come from those who abuse the drugs in one way or another but, every now and again, serious problems emerge over time. Once a pattern emerges, the FDA can either change the labels on the drugs to give stronger warning to patients or, in the worst cases, withdraw the licenses for the drug to be used. Since withdrawal can have a dramatic effect on the manufacturer, the FDA prefers to improve the level of… Read More…