VOL. 34   NO. 5September-October 2000

Features

Cover Story
Make No Mistake: Medical Errors Can Be Deadly Serious
Thousands of patients die each year from preventable medical errors. FDA and the health-care community are searching for solutions.

Reusing Medical Devices: Ensuring Safety the Second Time Around
If you think your kid's braces are brand-new, think again. Safety concerns and new guidance regarding recycling single-use medical devices are examined.

New Dietary Guidelines Give Practical Advice for Healthier Living
Eat more of this food--eat less of that one. Dietary advice can be confusing, but the new dietary guidelines spell it out for consumers in an easy-to-understand booklet.

Precision in Public Health Protection: A Woman's Life's Work in Radiation
Technician Elizabeth Rodgers plays a key role in making sure x-rays are safe.

Human Gene Therapy: Harsh Lessons, High Hopes
September marks the 10-year anniversary of the first human gene therapy experiment--and the one-year anniversary of the first death caused by this promising medical treatment.

User Fees for Faster Drug Reviews: Are They Helping or Hurting the Public Health?
Resources provided by user fees helped FDA revive its drug and biologic new product review . But eliminating review delays has not eliminated criticism of the program.

Advisory Committees: FDA's Primary Stakeholders Have a Say
Think the government doesn't listen to you? Consumers and patient advocates do make a difference and bring an important perspective to agency decision-making.

Departments

Observations

A message from the editor of FDA Consumer.

Letters to the Editor

One letter describes the value of breast implants and another points out an arithmetical mistake in the article about juvenile diabetes that appeared in last month's FDA Consumer.

Updates

The latest information on FDA-related issues, gathered from FDA Press Releases, Talk Papers, and other sources.

fda.gov

Places of interest on FDA's Website and other government and health-related sites.

Summaries of Court Actions

Cases involving seizure, criminal and injunction proceedings.

Investigators' Reports

Selected cases illustrating regulatory and administrative actions--such as inspections, recalls, seizures, and court proceedings--by FDA's regional and district offices across the country.

The Last Word

Commentary: Correcting human genetic disorders with gene therapy.

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