The agency that is in charge of ensuring that medicine is safe and efficacious in the United States is the __________________.

The agency that is in charge of ensuring that medicine is safe and efficacious in the United States is the __________________.

• A. Food and Drug Administration
• B. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• C. National Institutes of Health
• D. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Answer: (A)

The agency in charge of ensuring medicines are safe and effective in the United States is the Food and Drug Administration. This agency reviews new drugs through clinical trials and requires solid evidence of safety and efficacy before a drug can be approved for marketing. It also monitors medicines after approval for adverse effects and enforces proper labeling, manufacturing practices, and quality standards. Other agencies play related public-health roles—CDC focuses on disease prevention and control, NIH conducts medical research, and ATSDR focuses on health effects of exposure to hazardous substances—but the FDA is the regulatory body responsible for drug safety, efficacy, and oversight of how medicines are produced and labeled.

The agency in charge of ensuring medicines are safe and effective in the United States is the Food and Drug Administration. This agency reviews new drugs through clinical trials and requires solid evidence of safety and efficacy before a drug can be approved for marketing. It also monitors medicines after approval for adverse effects and enforces proper labeling, manufacturing practices, and quality standards. Other agencies play related public-health roles—CDC focuses on disease prevention and control, NIH conducts medical research, and ATSDR focuses on health effects of exposure to hazardous substances—but the FDA is the regulatory body responsible for drug safety, efficacy, and oversight of how medicines are produced and labeled.