NCL and FDA: Allies in Action

Sixteen years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) invested in the NCL’s launch of its Script Your Future initiative. It turned out to be an extremely wise use of public resources. The program is still making a difference in people’s health and lives today, providing education on the importance of medication adherence, building confidence in vaccines, offering information on alternatives to opioids, and raising awareness of drug safety and how to engage in safe drug disposal. Because of Script Your Future, more patients are knowledgeable about their medication options, including the growing field of biosimilars.

The success of this program is emblematic of the long-standing, productive relationship between the FDA and NCL. During my nearly four decades with the agency, I have greatly appreciated a partnership that has benefited all who rely on the safety and efficacy of medicines and healthy foods. I began my relationship with NCL when Linda Golodner was the organization’s CEO and have continued our collaboration with Sally Greenberg and her team.

NCL’s history as an advocate for public health is linked to the very creation of the FDA. Under Florence Kelley’s historic leadership of the League, the organization played a critical role, during President Theodore Roosevelt’s Administration, in the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act, which, for the first time, created legal protections declaring that consumers had the right to safe products. The bill also created the precursor for what would become the FDA.

Then, just over a decade later, NCL defied not only the conventional wisdom of the time, but also staunch opposition from powerful political forces to get the Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Protection Act enacted into law. Also known as the “Maternity Act,” Sheppard-Towner became the first-ever federally funded social welfare program, providing states with federal matching funds for health clinics for pregnant women, as well as mothers and their children, visiting nurses to help care for pregnant and new mothers, midwife training, and dissemination of health and nutrition information.

When I began working with NCL early in my tenure at the FDA, it was already an organization that had established enormous credibility as a valuable ally for patients and consumers. What I found firsthand is that NCL is an honest, reliable broker on a wide range of issues and has an unwavering commitment to the well-being of consumers and workers. In our work at the FDA, NCL has been a valuable ally that has effectively advanced responsible policies on food and medication safety.

Today, NCL is continuing to build on its 125- year volume of accomplishments, focusing on the important challenges of today. NCL is providing a necessary voice on issues such as prescription drug access and affordability, stopping the spread of counterfeit medications, improving food and beverage labeling, and promoting nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

The science behind medical and food innovation is constantly and rapidly evolving, and as it does, so will the issues affecting population health and welfare. So, in addition to congratulating NCL on its 125th anniversary, I want to emphasize how important it is that we continue to have NCL shaping a future defined by health, safety, and access to the best care medical science continues to provide.

______________

Before her retirement earlier this year, Dr. Janet Woodcock held numerous leadership positions at the Food and Drug Administration, including Acting Commissioner, Principal Deputy Commissioner, and Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. In 2017, NCL recognized Dr. Woodcock with the Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award.