EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This final audit report points out that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not taken sufficient action to correct a material weakness in FDA's generic drug approval process. The FDA needs to: (1) modify the method by which generic drug applications are assigned to reviewers to remove any opportunity for showing partiality or favoritism; (2) revise its "first-in, first-reviewed" policy for generic drugs because the current policy may allow for the unequal treatment of drug firms' applications; (3) develop comprehensive guidelines to assure that generic drug applications are reviewed in a uniform and consistent manner; and (4) establish a quality control review system outside the Office of Generic Drugs to ensure the propriety of individual generic drug application reviews and the integrity of the review process.