As the Obama cabinet begins to take shape, groups on either side of the regulatory aisle are firing off letters to HHS Sec’y-Elect Tom Daschle in an effort to influence opinion in the choice of the next FDA commissioner. Essentially, that choice comes down to a couple of possibilities: (1) a candidate who represents the interests of the drug and device lobby as an efficient healthcare-as-free-market savior, eschewing excessive government regulation as both wasteful and intrusive; or (2) a candidate who can balance the need for safety in healthcare product delivery and promotion with the government funding specifically earmarked for this purpose. The selection of the new FDA chief will a closely watched one because an essential part of healthcare delivery reform will involve strong checks and balances in the powers of agencies, like the FDA, charged with protecting the public’s interest, as opposed to their own “saving face”. | LINK

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