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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2011 |
Save Antibiotics - The Campaign Fact SheetAntibiotics are one of the most important tools in modern medicine. These drugs can mean the difference between life and death when humans contract a bacterial infection—from staph to salmonella to bacterial pneumonia. But overuse and misuse of these drugs are making bacteria more quickly resistant to essential antibiotics. More info |
Antibiotics in Food Animal Production |
| 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 |
| Apr 12, 2012 |
Reviving the Pipeline of Life-Saving AntibioticsAntibiotic-resistant infections are a growing public health threat. At the same time, antibiotic innovation is waning. Pew, the IIDSA and PhRMA hosted a one-day conference, Reviving the Pipeline of Life-Saving Antibiotics: Exploring Solutions to Spur Innovation on September 22, 2011, exploring ways to overcome the challenges that hinder the development of new antibiotics. More info |
Drug Safety, Antibiotic Innovation |
| Jul 27, 2012 |
Review of the Scientific Basis for Safety Decisions on Hazards of Substances Added to FoodIn April 2011 Pew Health Group convened a workshop bringing together more than 80 experts from government, industry, academia and public interest organizations to examine the principles underlying the development and use of scientific evidence to identify and characterize chemical hazards. Based on the workshop discussions, Pew made several important observations. More info |
Food Additives |
| May 24, 2011 |
Replacing Deep Fat FryersThe Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project conducted a pilot survey among food service directors in three states (Georgia, Kentucky and Wisconsin), finding that schools lack the resources and equipment to provide healthy school food to students. More info |
School Food |
| Sep 27, 2010 |
Regulatory Comment: Overdraft Payment Programs and Consumer ProtectionThe Pew Health Group’s Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project responds to the FDIC’s call for comments on FIL-47-2010, Overdraft Payment Programs and Consumer Protection. The FDIC issued proposed guidance for public comment on how banking institutions it supervises should implement and maintain oversight of automated overdraft programs. More info |
Checking |
| Aug 15, 2011 |
Regulatory Comment: Defining Larger Participants in Certain Consumer Financial Products and Services MarketsThis regulatory comment discusses the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed rule on defining larger participants in certain markets related to related to consumer financial products and services. Based on work at the Pew Health Group by the Safe Small Dollar Loans Research Project and The Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project on small dollar loans and checking accounts, we urge the CFPB to issue an initial rule broadly covering nondepository markets. The rule should permit comprehensive supervision by the CFPB. The CFPB's supervisory authority must be broader than its rulemaking authority because examination of the market informs rulemaking needs. More info |
Banking, Lending |
| Nov 19, 2009 |
Regulatory Comment on Credit Card Disclosure RequirementsThe Pew Safe Credit Cards Project submitted comments (PDF) to the Federal Reserve Board regarding the Board’s latest proposed rulemaking under Regulation Z (Docket No. R—1370). The rules implement provisions of the Credit CARD Act of 2009 that are effective February 22, 2010. Pew’s comments focused on clarifying the rights of consumers in a credit card contract and increased responsibility for and disclosure from credit card issuers. More info |
Credit Cards |
| Sep 21, 2009 |
Regulatory Comment on Credit CARD Act Rule: Advanced Notice and Cancel RequirementsThe Pew Safe Credit Cards Project submitted comments (PDF) to the Federal Reserve Board regarding the Board’s interim final rules under Regulation Z (Docket No. R-1364). The rules cover advance notice and right to cancel requirements under the Credit CARD Act of 2009. Pew’s comments focused on a number of exceptions the Board proposed, which could allow issuers to raise interest rates, change minimum required payment levels and impose potentially large deferred interest charges with little or no advance warning. More info |
Credit Cards |
| Jun 25, 2009 |
Regulatory Comment on Credit CARD Act Reasonable and Proportional RuleThe Pew Safe Credit Cards Project submitted comments to the Federal Reserve Board in regard to rulemaking under the Credit CARD Act of 2009. These comments focused specifically on the law’s requirement that penalty fees and charges must be reasonable and proportional to related cardholder omissions or violations. More info |
Credit Cards |
| 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 |
| Feb 22, 2012 |
Recommendations to the FDA Regarding the Use of Antibiotics in Food Animal ProductionIt is estimated that up to 70 percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used on industrial farms in healthy food animals, to promote growth and to compensate for the effects of overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. This practice promotes the development of deadly strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can spread to humans. More info |
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| Nov 19, 2012 |
Public Health and Consumer Groups Call for Participation in Antibiotic Use MeetingsOn Nov. 2, 15 public health and consumer organizations sent a joint letter to the FDA requesting to join in discussions to consider how the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in livestock and poultry are significant contributing factors to antibiotic resistance in humans. More info |
Antibiotics in Food Animal Production |
| Jan 6, 2012 |
Project on Emerging NanotechnologiesMomentous change can come in tiny packages. Nanotechnologies have been hailed by many as the next industrial revolution, likely to affect everything from clothing and medical treatments to engineering. Although focused on the very small, nanotechnology—the ability to measure, manipulate and manufacture objects that are 1/100th to 1/100,000th the circumference of a human hair—offers immense promise. Whether used in cancer therapies, pollution-eating compounds or stain-resistant apparel, these atomic marvels are radically and rapidly changing the way we live. The National Science Foundation predicts that the global marketplace for goods and services using nanotechnologies will grow to $1 trillion by 2015 and employ 2 million workers. More info |
Health Topics |
| 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 |
| Feb 19, 2010 |
Produce Safety Project: Stakeholders' Discussion Series MeetingsThe Food and Drug Administration announced in December 2009, that it was going to establish a nationwide produce safety standard for the growing, harvesting and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables and opened an official docket for comments in February 2010. More info |
Food Safety |
| Mar 23, 2010 |
Physician Payments Sunshine Provisions in Health Care ReformThe Physician Payments Sunshine provisions in health care reform legislation require drug and medical device manufacturers to publicly report gifts and payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals. More info |
Conflicts of Interest |
| Jan 28, 2009 |
Pharmaceutical Industry MarketingReports of pharmaceutical and medical device industry marketing expenditures vary - pharmaceutical manufacturers spend billions annually on marketing - detailing, journal advertising, pharmaceutical samples and direct-to-consumer advertising. What can be done to protect patients, control health care costs, and bolster professionalism among physicians? The Prescription Project promotes a range of solutions for consumers, physicians, state and federal policy makers, and public and private payers. More info |
Conflicts of Interest |
| Oct 22, 2012 |
Pew's Comment Letter on FDA’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Data CollectionOn behalf of The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew), we are writing to urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen regulations pertaining to record-keeping and public reporting of antibiotic use in food animal production. More info |
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| May 23, 2013 |
Pew Testimony: Examining Drug CompoundingOn Thursday, May 23, the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing, entitled "Examining Drug Compounding." Gabrielle Cosel, a drug safety expert, testified on the need to clarify oversight of compounding pharmacies on the state and federal level. More info |
Drug Manufacturing and Distribution, Drug Safety |
| Apr 25, 2013 |
Pew Testimony to House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Regarding Drug Supply ChainThe House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on April 25 entitled "Securing Our Nation’s Prescription Drug Supply Chain." Allan Coukell, a pharmacist and drug safety expert, will testify on the need to establish a national system to track and authenticate medicine. The principles outlined in his prepared testimony are supported by other stakeholders in statements from consumer, patient, public health, and industry groups. More info |
Drug Manufacturing and Distribution, Drug Safety |
| May 9, 2013 |
Pew Testimony on the Safety of Compounding PharmaciesThe U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on May 9 entitled "Pharmaceutical Compounding: Proposed Legislative Solution." Pew's Allan Coukell, a pharmacist and drug safety expert, testified on the need to strengthen oversight of the compounding industry. More info |
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| Mar 10, 2010 |
Pew Statement on Energy and Commerce Drug Safety Hearing"Two years after dozens of Americans lost their lives to contaminated heparin, we are still unable to protect U.S. consumers from many of the risks of pharmaceuticals manufactured in foreign factories. It is time for Congress to take action to better protect health." More info |
Drug Manufacturing and Distribution, Drug Safety |
| Jul 20, 2012 |
Pew Seeks More Veterinary Oversight of Antibiotic Use on Industrial FarmsGail Hansen, a senior officer with the Pew Health Group, thanks the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for issuing draft codified language expanding the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD). She also raises several concerns with the language that should be addressed. More info |
Antibiotics in Food Animal Production |
| Jul 21, 2009 |
Pew letter to the FDA in response to their public recognition of animal agriculture's contribution to antimicrobial resistanceThe Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming (Pew) would like to extend our sincere thanks to you both for taking the time to meet with us on June 23 to discuss the contribution of animal agriculture to the growing public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance. We are deeply appreciative not only of your consideration of our viewpoints, but also the expertise and dedication that you bring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). More info |
Antibiotics in Food Animal Production |
