Source:
Associated PressFDA officials criticized for secrecyBy ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press Writer
15 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - For years, the public calendars of two top federal
drug safety officials were largely blank — devoid of the required
detail about their contacts with the industry they regulated.
Open government experts and lawmakers said it is only the latest
example of the lack of transparency at the Food and Drug
Administration and a violation of the spirit of open government.
The FDA attributed it to administrative oversight.
A review by House Republican staff found the public calendars for
Drs. Janet Woodcock and Steven Galson virtually empty. Woodcock
is a deputy FDA commissioner and former drug chief. Galson is
current drug chief.
-snip-Once notified by the congressional staff, the FDA began to
retroactively fill in the calendar. It showed that the two had met
during that period with drug company executives, lobbyists, patient
groups and others.
-snip-Read more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070630/ap_on_go_ot/fda_empty_calendars_1