Safety at the Speed of Life- Blog 5

In my previous post in the series I began last week on the safety of imported products, I brought up the importance of collaborative skills in solving complex problems and working on global issues. In my 16 years of public service, every significant step of meaningful progress has come as a result of collaboration.

Collaboration does not eliminate tensions, but it minimizes them.

Collaboration does not take away hard choices, but it improves the acceptance of the decisions made.

Collaboration does not create instant success, but it has accelerated progress.

In the context of product safety, collaboration will not only be necessary for developing product standards, but in implementing many other parts of the plan as well.

Governments must collaborate with governments. Departments within governments — law enforcement, trade, border security and health agencies, for example — must collaborate with each other. Even competitors must cooperate in some circumstances.

And, in my judgment, a collaborative spirit, skill set, and commitment is a pre-requisite for leadership and success in the 21st century global marketplace.

When we presented our import safety plan to the President, I told him it would require additional money. The President committed to seeking additional funding. Congress has made a down payment that will support crucial steps, including expanding FDA’s international presence and improving its scientific and information technology infrastructure. But it will require sustained investment over the next several years to achieve long-term import safety.

Legislative action is also needed.

We need Congress to provide the FDA with authority to mandate third-party certification in certain high-risk categories when voluntary measures aren’t working.

Having laid out a long-term vision and strategy, I want to acknowledge that changes of this magnitude take time. Solutions take time to implement. But we have to keep steady pressure on the change pedal.

In the limited time left in this Administration, there are several things I plan to complete.

In the United States, our biggest trading partners are now Canada, China, and Mexico, in that order. Chinese products made up about one-sixth of all U.S. imports. Recognizing that, we have signed and begun to implement two landmark Memoranda of Agreement with the Chinese government: one concerning food and feed, and the other, drugs and medical devices.

These strong, action-oriented documents call for specific steps and set clear deadlines for achieving them. Once implemented, they will enhance the safety of scores of items the American people consume on a daily basis.

We recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnamese government. We are working with Indian authorities to support their pharmaceutical regulatory priorities. We have committed to share information and collaborate with our Mexican and Canadian partners on food and drug recalls. And we are developing an agreement with Central American governments that will improve product safety for consumers in the U.S. and abroad.

The role of FDA will change in regard to the issue of import safety. I will explain my vision for this role in more detail in my next entry.