With a fast paced growth in the field of science and technology, the Food and Drug Administration has increased its staff numbers by 1300 professionals in a bid to protect the public better.
According to Kimberly Holden, FDA’s recruitment division senior manager, about a hundred people walk through their doors every pay period with a lot of them who leave and want to return back.
Adding staff will increase the FDA’s staff numbers by at least ten percent as a replacement to medical and scientific professionals who have left their jobs with FDA to move on to industry jobs in recent years. New recruits are expected to provide crucial expertise.
This increase in staff numbers according to observers is absolutely essential at this stage though it is only a first step. According to William Hubbard who is the former associate commissioner of FDA, this is the first step towards restoring FDA to its former glory. Hubbard has been recently lobbying for an increase in the budget for this agency. He also said adding staff is sure to reduce their losses and it will take quite some time before we can see any improvements.
FDA is mostly funded by tax payers and industry user fees. According to officials, out of the 1000 staff already hired, 850 of them were professionals like statisticians, microbiologists, medical officers, field inspectors, chemists, pharmacologists and biologists.
Most of the new recruits will be deputed to the Center for Drug Evaluation division of the FDA. Safety of drugs and new medications are assessed and monitored by this center.
