The U.S. FDA has formed a task force to develop recommendations for enhancing the transparency of the agency’s operations and decision-making process.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has formed a task force to develop recommendations for enhancing the transparency of the agency’s operations and decision-making process.

To support the efforts of the task force, the FDA will hold a June 24 public meeting to solicit recommendations on how the agency can make information on its activities and decisions more available, useful and understandable.

"Our administration is committed to making government open and transparent," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "The Transparency Task Force will give the American people a seat at the table and make the FDA more open and accountable."

The task force will be chaired by Principal Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein and will include center directors, the associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, chief scientist and the chief counsel.

Among its many goals, the Transparency Task Force will recommend ways that the agency can better explain its operations compatible with the appropriate protection of confidential information, identify information the FDA should provide about specific agency operations and activities, including enforcement actions and product approvals, and identify problems and barriers, both internal and external, to providing useful and understandable information about FDA activities and decision-making to the public.

Additionally, it will recommend changes to the FDA’s current operations, including internal policies and guidance, to improve the agency’s ability to provide information to the public in a timely and effective manner.
 
The establishment of the task force follows President Obama’s January memorandum directing executive agencies to find new ways of making information available to the public rapidly and in a form that is easily accessible and user-friendly.

For more information, visit www.fda.gov.