The FDA has been under heavy scrutiny as of late due to many high profile events in the news. The FDA has taken heat on everything from Vioxx to contaminated pet food. Last Wednesday the Senate approved decision to monitor side effects more closely in order to decrease the number of high profile drug failures.

In the case of Vioxx, many felt that the pain medication remained on the market to long before being voluntarily removed by its makers in 2004 after tests it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

According to MSNBC, ?The Senate legislation, approved on a 93-1 vote, would require the Food and Drug Administration to actively monitor the safety of drugs on the market and require pharmaceutical companies to develop plans to manage any serious risks associated with new medications. A companion bill has yet to be considered in the House. The legislation's underlying purpose was to renew, through 2012, a program that has the drug industry pay fees to the agency to defray the cost of reviewing new medicines.?

Sen. Mike Enzi said, ?Right now, the FDA has its hands tied behind its back when it tries to manage the risks of drugs already on the market. This bill will clarify and strengthen the FDA's authority and give it new tools to take measured and appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of Americans.?

The earlier form of the bill also contained legislation that would not allow any DTC advertising until the product had been on the market for a specified time period. This stipulation was replaced in the final bill by a prevision that will allow governing authorities the right to fine for ads that are false or misleading to the consumers.

Bill Vaughan, senior policy adviser for Consumers Union, said, ?Too many lives have been lost because the FDA has been too slow to act or didn't have the power to change a warning label or require a follow-up safety study.?

Vaughan added, ?It's now up to the House to get the strongest possible reforms approved so patients can have faith in the medicines they take each day.?

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