Alexander Gaffney of raps.org provides a very interesting article on FDA’s move to have a more specialized program to deal with scientific advances and regulatory complexity. Gaffney introduces the article by discussing the cryptic message from FDA saying there was a need for the agency to realign the programs. When FDA announced the Program Alignment Group (PAG) they sent out a memo outlining some of the areas the PAG will focus on.
- specialization across FDA’s inspection and compliance functions based on specialization within FDA’s regulated industries and the demands of new legislation
- training that is developed collaboratively by ORA and the Centers and leads to the development of competency and training requirements to enhance and maintain FDA’s workforce
These are just a few of the focus areas provided in the article. Gaffney goes on to talk about how the PAG will impact FDA centers all over the country whether it be in the specialization of some employees or trying to “de-layer” to allow FDA to take timely and appropriate action. To determine whether this new program helps or hurts FDA, we will have to wait and see. To read the full article click here.