"Is the FDA Safe and Effective?" by Alex Tabarrok (7/8)

Dr. Alex Tabarrok
Associate Professor, George Mason University, and
Director of Research, The Independent Institute

"Is the FDA Safe and Effective?"

Friday, March 24, 2006
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Campbell University RTP Campus

The Vioxx withdrawal reminds us that drug safety is a continuing concern. Dramatic
tragedies in the past, such as with Thalidomide, have often led to greater FDA powers and
responsibilities, but they have also unleashed a series of unintended consequences.
Greater FDA power has increased the time it takes to bring a new drug to market, raised
costs and resulted in fewer new drugs. How well does the FDA manage these trade offs?
What does off-label prescribing and the experience of other countries tell us about the
FDA process? What do doctors think about the FDA? Should the FDA be reformed and
if so how?

Professor Tabarroks recent research examines issues such as how race and poverty
impact trial decisions by juries, how judges compare to juries when awarding damages,
the influence of judicial electoral systems on the decisions of judges and how bounty
hunters compare with police in arresting fugitives from the law. Other research examines
patent system reform, methods to increase the supply of human organs for transplant and
the regulation of pharmaceuticals.

Prof. Tabarrok is co-author of the web site, FDAReview.org, an extensive resource on the
history, policies, and potential reform of the FDA.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• FDA
• Health and Safety
• Government
• Liberty
• Public Policy