Overnight the US FDA launched a new website called “FDA Basics” – a site intended to improve the agency’s transparency and help educate the public on the tasks undertaken by the FDA. This is the first initiative to come out of the new Transparency Task Force, formed when a new administration took over the FDA last year.
The agency has taken a three pronged approach to the website, offering public Q&A, short videos on its activities and conversations with FDA staff on their roles and responsibilities. The site is a little light on content at present but, interestingly, is relying primarily on public feedback and input to help it grow.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg is optimistic about the project: “This initiative will make information about the FDA more user-friendly and accessible to the public,” said Dr. Hamburg. “It fosters a better understanding about what we do.”
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