However, we have to be very, very careful. There are already too many drugs that have gone through the vetting process and clinical trials and been approved and later found to be extremely dangerous and then withdrawn from the market. A case in point, Vioxx, a drug I was taking and which worked very well for my osteoarthritis pain. But it was killing people, heart attacks, etc. so the FDA forced Merck to withdraw it from the market. The results of all research trials, good and bad, should go through the FDA. Right now, the drug companies get too much control over what the government and the public can see. Any adverse result statistics they make sure never see the light of day. They publish only the good results. Sure, the FDA sees all adverse events records for the studies and after drug approval. However, many times the drug companies try to make it seem like the reaction was not related to the drug. When there are too many adverse events of one time, that will throw up a red flag but before that time, that will be hidden as much as possible.

We have to be very, very vigilant and make sure any efficiency increases protect the public and not the drug companies. I know for a fact that many of the FDA doctors have either come from Big Pharma employment or go to it after they leave the FDA. I call that Conflict of Interest big time. The whole damn thing needs to be overhauled and it made illegal for FDA personnel to come from or go to Pharma.