FDA Say Pressured by Bush Administration Policies« Thread Started on Sept 25, 2006, 8:45pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------FDA Say Pressured by Bush Administration PoliciesPosted on September 25, 2006by Richard Johnson Critics have asserted that the Bush Administration has used political pressure and a public relations strategy to define their own brand of science during George Bush, Jr.'s term as U.S. president.According to findings released by two public interest groups, scientistsand staff members working for the Food and Drug Administration say political and commercial pressures are compromising their mission to provide truthful and accurate public health and safety information.The Union of Concerned Scientists and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said their survey of 997 FDA staff members suggests the"culture of science is under attack and struggling at the FDA.""Science must be the driving force for decisions made at the FDA. These disturbing survey results make it clear that inappropriate interference isputting people in harm's way," said Francesca Grifo, a senior scientistwith the Union of Concerned Scientists.In a statement the FDA disputed the conclusions and cast aspersions on thesurvey."The survey is highly unscientific, with a number of leading questions and innuendo, and it is unclear what percentage of those who replied to it areactually involved in scientific decision making here at FDA," agency spokeswoman Julie Zawisza said.The survey found about 17 percent of respondents said they had been askedto exclude or alter technical information in an FDA documents, and morethan 40 percent said they knew of cases where political appointees hadinappropriately involved themselves in cases where they had commercial interests.read at source: http://www.market-day.net/article_28228 ... licies.php