It is estimated by the FDA, that for every dollar an American citizens spends, 25 cents of that dollar will go towards the regulation and management of all products. The scope of the FDA is incredibly expansive; the administration plays a critical role in a number of industries, from pharmaceuticals to dietary supplements.

The FDA is a fundamental agency that operates within the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA was established in 1906 under the Federal Food and Drugs Act; an act of Congress passed to appease the growing consumer concern over the safety of foods and drugs in the United States. As a result of their expansive responsibilities, the FDA is divided into a number of sub-departments.

From FDA regulations concerning the packaging of products to the administration of safe drugs, all FDA regulations must be satisfied by the producers and manufacturers of food, cosmetics, drugs, vaccines, medical supplies and various other consumer products in the United States. Failure to comply with these FDA regulations will result in felony charges (placed on the producer, distributor or manufacturer of the aforementioned goods) or the institution of an FDA product recall.

Examples of FDA Regulations:

FDA Regulations concerning Commercial Cutting and Produce:

The United States Food and Drug Administration regulates the national food supply, including how food is harvested and distributed from local farms. More specifically, the fashion in how and which food is cut and transported are regulated by the FDA.

For example, the FDA stipulates that knives utilized to cut produce, such as lettuce, must be sanitized regularly. Furthermore, after an item is cut, the exposed surface of the produce should not touch the soil to prevent contamination. To further prevent the spread of disease or contamination, FDA regulations will extend to the practice of hand-harvesting; workers must adhere to FDA regulations regarding hand washing and glove use.

FDA Labeling Regulations for Restaurants:

The FDA imposes regulations on how restaurant menus label nutritional information; such FDA regulations must be adhered to in order to help consumers identify health options. This effort is instituted to reduce diet-related diseases, such as diabetes or obesity, by informing consumers to the caloric intake of their meal choices. The FDA determined that all food chains (those restaurants with 20 or more locations throughout the United States) must label their menu items so that consumers can choose dishes that are lower in calories or in general, make them more aware as to their caloric intake.

FDA regulations concerning labeling require the restaurant to notify the consumer of the meal’s total fat, which includes transfat, saturated fat, sodium, protein and carbohydrate counts. This information must be reported on the menus or made available upon the request of the diner; in essence however, the FDA regulations over labeling are primarily concerning with calorie information.

FDA Import Regulations:

The FDA published new regulations designed to keep the American public safe from foreign food threats. These FDA regulations allow the government to keep a close watch on food entering the United States, for imported foods are typically more vulnerable to contamination or terrorist threats. As of October 2003, the FDA requires all foreign and domestic food facilities to register with the agency.

Following registration, all foreign facilities must appoint an agent who either resides in the U.S. or maintains a place of business there. The agent will then act as the intermediary between the FDA and the foreign establishment to inform the United States government concerning matters involving new shipments and the quantity of such loads.

Like all government agencies of the United States Federal Government, the FDA operates a full-service website, located at  www.fda.gov. When users visit www.FDA.gov they will immediately observe the plethora of information concerning food safety and an overview of the basic functions of the administration.

The site is fundamental in offering the American people information regarding the importance of the administration’s regulations required to promote the presence of safe and healthy food.www.fda.gov, in addition to the information detailing the administration’s goals, will also offer a strategic 5 year plan, emplaced to further promote efficiency and safety in the United States’ food market.

www.fda.gov offers individuals a forum to report problems associated with the food and medical industries. When a consumer comes across a problem, in regards to the safe administration of foods or drugs, they are encouraged to report the problem at www.fda.gov. Furthermore,
www.fda.gov, also offers a section detailing the latest information regarding product or food recalls, as well as an assortment or warnings based on the health of various food industries.

The United States Food and Drug Administration is located at 10903 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland 20993. The phone number for the FDA is 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)

The Food and Drug Administration is one of the country’s federal executive departments and is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the supervision and regulation of tobacco products, food safety dietary supplements, prescription, as well as over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, cosmetics, veterinary products and vaccines.

In addition to the regulation over the aforementioned products, the Food and Drug Administration enforces other laws, most notably Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act and associated legislation, which may or may not be related to food and drugs. In this format, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the regulation of sanitation requirements on interstate travel and the control of disease on products ranging from household pets to the donation of sperm intended for assisted reproduction.

Food and Drug Administration Quick Facts:

The following details outline the administration of the Food and Drug Administration:

The Food and Drug Administration  was formed in 1906

The headquarters of the Food and Drug Administration are located at 10903 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland. In addition to its headquarters, the Food and Drug Administration has 223 field offices and 13 laboratories located throughout the 50 states, the U.S> Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration began opening offices abroad, including in China, India, Belgium, the United Kingdom and India.

The Food and Drug Administration operates with roughly 9,500 employees and possesses an annual operating budget of 2.3 billion dollars

The Food and Drug Administration  is responsible for the jurisdiction over the Federal Government of the United States of America

The Parent Agency of the Food and Drug Administration is the Department of Health and Human Services

The head of the Food and Drug Administration is Margaret Hamburg, who acts as the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. The Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration is appointed by the President of the United States with the direct consent of the Senate. The Commissioner reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Scope of the Food and Drug Administration:

The Food and Drug Administration regulates over $1 trillion worth of consumer goods and roughly 25% of all consumer expenditures in the United States. Total expenditures include roughly $465 billion in food sales, $275 billion in drug transactions, $60 billion in cosmetics and roughly $18 billion in dietary supplements. The majority of expenditures accounts for goods imported into the United States; the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for monitoring a third of the nation’s imports.

The majority of federal laws dealing with the Food and Administration are labeled in the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, which was passed in 1938 and subsequently amended, and codified in Title 21, Chapter 9 of the United States Code. 

Drug Enforcement Agency

 

 

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) works under the United States Federal Government in order to keep illicit drugs off the streets, while preventing crimes which result form the manufacture and distribution of drugs. The Agency handles illicit street drugs, as well as prescription medications that have been illegally obtained.

 

 

DEA Number

 

 

A DEA number is assigned to individuals that can prescribe medications so that the DEA can then track the amount of controlled dangerous substance prescriptions are written by each doctor. If the amount or prescription seems excessive, the DEA may investigate the health care provider and their patients.

 

 

DEA Agents

 

 

DEA agents can often be identified by their uniform. However, when a DEA agent is working undercover or patrolling the streets, they may be in plain clothes. In that case, it is best to ask for a DEA badge if someone identifies themselves as a Federal agent.

 

 

DEA License

 

 

A DEA license can be used to track prescription medications around the United States. In order to prevent doctors from abusing the power to write prescriptions, the DEA will investigate a doctor when they believe the doctor is writing too many prescriptions for controlled and dangerous substances. 

There are many types of DEA jobs, each of which has unique requirements and specifications. DEA agents do not necessarily deal with street crimes, as their services may be required in other areas, such as pharmacies and doctors’ offices. DEA jobs also include a variety of administrative tasks, each of which is important in preventing the manufacture and distribution of illicit street and prescription drugs.

Most employees of the DEA have a DEA badge. It is important for the public to ask for identification, such as a DEA badge, when law enforcement is plain-clothed. In fact, it is a good idea even when they are in uniform. There  has been an increase in crimes in which individuals pretend to work for law enforcement in order to commit robberies and other crimes.  

DEA agents should be easily identified by their DEA badge. However, they may be working undercover which makes them indistinguishable. In fact, many DEA jobs require that the agents be plain-clothed while they are working on the street.

DEA agents work in a variety of fields within the drug trade. They may pose undercover or simply patrol suspect pharmacies and doctors’ offices in uniform. Regardless of the job they perform, DEA jobs include individuals that are Federal employees. They have more power than state and local law enforcement and can often prosecute crimes that local law enforcement has attempted to prosecute. In fact, federal crimes are almost always prosecuted first. 

A DEA number is utilized to track individuals that write prescriptions for controlled dangerous substances. The system can be used to track physicians, as well as those that are prescribed such medications. For example, those that obtain a prescription for the same medication from two different doctors will likely be flagged in the system if the prescription is for a controlled dangerous substance.

 

 

The DEA number lookup system allows the Agency to track doctors and determine if they are prescribing a large amount of controlled dangerous substances. DEA diversion techniques, such as the controlled dangerous substance tracking systems, prevent many doctors from over-prescribing addictive and dangerous substances.

 

 

In addition, DEA diversion techniques also prevent individuals from obtaining many prescriptions for the same drugs. In the past, before the DEA number lookup system was available, individuals could more easily doctor shop and obtain many prescriptions for the same substance. Next, they would simply fill those prescriptions at different pharmacies to avoid detection. However, in order to prevent the abuse and sale of these types of drugs, the DEA number system has been put in use in more locations around the United States, not just for health care providers, but also for patients.

 

 

The DEA number system has been successful in preventing doctors from taking part in illicit activity as it relates to prescription medications. Although many prescriptions come into the country from international borders, the DEA number lookup system has prevented some of the drugs from making it to the street. 

The DEA, or Drug Enforcement Agency, is an agency which is supported by the United States Government. The sole purpose of the DEA is to prevent the manufacture, sale and distribution of illicit drugs. In addition, the DEA enforces the laws which govern prescription medications and can criminally charge individuals that have possession of prescription medication that does not belong to them. Often, the penalties for having an unauthorized prescription is similar to that utilized for illicit street drugs.

Working under the United States Department of Justice, the DEA is the primary agency in charge of drug enforcement management. They are responsible for enforcing the Controlled Dangerous Substance Act and often work in concert with the Federal Bureau of Investigaton (FBI).

In general, drug enforcement agents are the sole individuals that may pursue drug cases across the United States borders. For example, they may look for known drug traffickers abroad when they have the cooperation of the other country’s government.

The creation of the DEA took place under President Nixon, who sought to have a single agency be in charge of preventing drug crimes in the United States. The DEA was meant to enforce the Federal drug laws across the country, even when they conflicted with state laws. In addition, the DEA was charged with drug control and the prevention of drug-related crimes.