FDA creates transparency taskforce

ROCKVILLE, Md. After years of criticism, the Food and Drug Administration wants to take the tinting off its windows.

The agency announced Tuesday the creation of an internal transparency taskforce, headed by principal deputy commissioner Joshua Sharfstein, to find ways to make its decision making more transparent for the public while protecting confidentiality.

“Over the years, there have been complaints made about the FDA’s lack of transparency,” commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday morning.

Hamburg said the taskforce would take comments from the public and stakeholders to find ways to make information about agency operations, recall information, enforcement and other activities more accessible. The agency will convene a public meeting on June 24 and another one in the fall and accept public comment through a docket until Aug. 7.

“The recommendations of the taskforce will allow us to more effectively implement the agency’s public health mission,” Hamburg said.