What do those three little letters say to you?

I was first introduced to the FDA by Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone, when he asked a bewildered salesgirl if a toothbrush at her store was FDA-approved. But no FDA approval could save him from this:













 BURN!!! Click image for the video!

So what is the role of the Food and Drug Administration, which has a budget of $4,486,368,000 for 2013 alone? Like many governmental organizations, the FDA claims it wants to protect the public. On their website, they provide a laundry list of things they seek to shield us from. In their own words:

"The FDA is responsible for

• Protecting the public health by assuring that foods are safe, wholesome, sanitary and properly labeled; human and veterinary drugs, and vaccines and other biological products and medical devices intended for human use are safe and effective
• Protecting the public from electronic product radiation
• Assuring cosmetics and dietary supplements are safe and properly labeled
• Regulating tobacco products
• Advancing the public health by helping to speed product innovations
• Helping the public get the accurate science-based information they need to use medicines, devices, and foods to improve their health

FDA’s responsibilities extend to the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and other U.S. territories and possessions."

If you are like me, the above list might sound great. I would love to not be harmed by electronic product radiation or contaminated mascara. I am also not opposed to speedy product innovations that can "advance the public health." But I also know that there are profound problems with the American medical system, ranging from high costs to long waits. In all the debate about nationalized healthcare, the FDA never took central stage. Its authority remains virtually untouched. Yet it is an inextricable component of American healthcare. What is the price of their protection- in time, efficiency, and money? That is what this blog will seek to examine and shed light on. Welcome to the FDA Monitor.