L. R. Dusold1 , F. S. Fry2 , M. O. Walderhaug2 , D. M. Schmit3 , E. A. Reinhold3 , M. E. Chen1 , 1OIT-CFSAN, FDA, 2CFSAN, FDA, 3Computer Technology Services, Inc. (CTS), Rockville, MD
The Centennial of the Pure Food & Drug Act is an occasion for both looking back and looking forward at the evolution of the tools used by FDA and CFSAN in the promotion and achievement of public health goals. For the past 20 years, an important evolving tool of public health specialists has been the Internet and its predecessor networks (BITNET and NSFNet). Public health specialists have used the predecessor networks to communicate with email and exchange files. In time, as the network evolved, CFSAN used the Internet to conduct research, to improve communication, and to collaborate with industry and academics on public health projects. CFSAN has embraced this technology by connecting to BITNET in 1987, followed by World Wide Web technology in 1993 with FDA's first web site, www.cfsan.fda.gov. This pioneered public health data exchange mechanisms for scientists, the communication of public health messages for consumers with outreach material, and the development of an electronic collaboration environment for the many public health specialists within the Center. CFSAN continues to exploit and to innovate new Internet technologies and seeks to explore the possibilities available in the Internet-2 initiative.