Featured Issue Briefs
The Battle on the Home Front: Jonathan Gadsden's Story
Marine Lance Corporal's story reflects the growing need for new antibiotics that can treat dangerous diseases, against which most drugs are useless. Read More
Facilitating Medical Device Innovation: De Novo Reform
The de novo process -- which requests lower-risk reclassification of medical devices and entry into the marketplace -- as it exists now is not achieving its purpose and has instead added unnecessary and time-consuming requirements. Read More
Food Products Recalled by FDA
Since President Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act into law, at least 149 FDA-regulated food products have been recalled due to potential pathogenic contamination. Read More
More Issue Briefs
| Date | Issue Briefs | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2008 |
DeniedAn issue brief on the lack of access to federal loans by community college students. If you need to take out a loan for college, it is tough to find a better deal than a federal student loan. More info |
Consumer Financial Security |
| Jun 16, 2008 |
Consumer Survey - Disclosure of Industry Payments to PhysiciansA majority of Americans say that it is important to know their physician’s financial ties to pharmaceutical companies and support legislation requiring pharmaceutical companies to disclose gifts to doctors. More info |
Conflicts of Interest |
| Sep 12, 2008 |
Regulating Industry Payments to PhysiciansPhysicians write more than 2 billion prescriptions a year, an average of 7 for every American. Several states and the District of Columbia have enacted so-called “sunshine laws” setting limits on industry payments to physicians and/or requiring disclosure of the payments. Proposed legislation in both the U.S House and Senate would require industry to disclose “transfers of value” to physicians. More info |
Conflicts of Interest |
| Sep 17, 2008 |
Top Line Poll ResultsResults from Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies survey of 1002 likely voters, conducted from July 21-August 3, 2008. More info |
Food Safety |
| Oct 3, 2008 |
Safe Credit Card Project Regulatory Comment:In October 2008, the Pew Safe Credit Cards Project shared comments (PDF) based on its recent work on credit cards with the Federal Reserve. Select findings from the project—including information on credit card penalty re-pricing and analysis of credit cards in the market—were included. More info |
Credit Cards |
| Nov 7, 2008 |
MedPAC Recommendations - Public Reporting of Physicians' Financial RelationshipsFinal recommendations approved by commission on November 6, 2008 - five recommendations to Congress regarding legislation about disclosure of relationships and gifts and payments made to physicians from pharmaceutical and medical device/supply manufacturers. More info |
Conflicts of Interest |
| Nov 18, 2008 |
FDA Actions Regarding Produce SafetyFor more than a decade, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the challenge of making fresh produce safer. However, it has relied on voluntary guidelines. This document summarizes a decade of government initiatives that fall short of the mandatory and enforceable federal safety standards needed for domestic and imported fresh fruits and vegetables. More info |
Food Hazards |
| Nov 18, 2008 |
Cost of Foodborne IllnessFoodborne illnesses carry with them significant economic and social costs that extend far beyond the immediate victim. More info |
Food Safety |
| Nov 19, 2008 |
Foodborne Pathogens Associated with Fresh Fruits and VegetablesThere are a number of foodborne microbial pathogens associated with the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables that can cause illness or death among consumers who eat contaminated produce. This document summarizes the major foodborne microbial pathogens that may be found in fresh produce, including Cyclospora cayetanensis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp. More info |
Food Safety |
| Nov 19, 2008 |
Produce-Related Foodborne-Illness OutbreaksFrom 1990 through 2005, at least 713 produce-related outbreaks have occurred. This issue brief summarizes 15 years of produce-related illness outbreaks in the U.S. More info |
Food Safety |
