FDA launch new patient network site

As part of an initiative to increase patient involvement within regulatory decisions (set by Obama in 2012), on April 24 2013 the FDA launched a new patient website called FDA Patient Network

Launched with the slogan: ‘Get Informed. Get Involved. Help FDA Help Patients Have a Bigger Voice’ the new website is described as ‘an interactive tool for educating patients, patient advocates, and consumers on how their medications – both prescription and over-the-counter ­–and medical devices move from the realm of idea to the realm of the marketplace. It brings together, in one place, information that is important to patients, making it easier for them to find what they are looking for and to understand the significance of their findings.’

An intuitive site, it offers the user a chance to learn about the drug and device approval process, voice opinion, share ideas and communicate with each other, or to find alternative treatments. Additionally, it looks like the FDA hope to use the website as gateway for patient recruitment for clinical trials and advisory committees.

Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, wrote on the FDA blogFDA Voice ‘I am excited because this new Patient Network web site provides a new model for FDA to follow in making its inner workings transparent to the public. It ushers in a new era of access and input for patients and consumers that will evolve with the needs of both communities.’

For more information, please visit the FDA website http://www.patientnetwork.fda.gov/