Pew Testifies to Congress on Over-the-Counter Drug Regulation Reform

Kirsten Moore, director of The Pew Charitable Trusts’ health care products project, testified Sept. 13 before the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health about the need to reform over-the-counter (OTC) drug regulation. A bipartisan group of subcommittee members has released a discussion draft of a bill that would abolish a burdensome notice and comment rulemaking process that is required to make changes to OTC drugs and would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to make decisions about the safety and efficacy of these products. It also would give the agency more funding through industry-paid user fees. Moore offered a public health perspective on the draft legislation and voiced support for the bill’s considerations of safety, efficiency, innovation, and additional resources for FDA.

The subcommittee also invited FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the Pharma & Biopharma Outsourcing Association, and the Public Access to SunScreens Coalition to testify.