Crawford Travels To Address Questions, Concerns About FDA

FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford beginning Sept. 13 will hold three public hearings as part of the Vision 2006 campaign to answer questions and hear comments about the agency, the Boston Globe reports. Each of the three sessions will have a "talk show format," include at least 150 audience members and address such issues as prescription drug advertising, conflicts of interest among federal advisers and drug safety.

The first hearing will be held Sept. 13 in Miami, chosen for its diverse community of elderly residents; the second, Nov. 2 in Cambridge, Mass., chosen for its high concentration of medical and device companies; and the third, Nov. 30 in Phoenix, chosen for its large number of elderly residents who travel to Mexico to purchase lower-cost prescription drugs. FDA spokesperson Suzanne Trevino said, "This is an opportunity for Dr. Crawford to shape his leadership and set the tone that we are very interested in what consumers have to say and will be responsive to what they have to say" (Henderson, Boston Globe, 8/16).