FDA Patient Network seeks to broaden communication channels on regulatory process

In an effort to more directly engage patients in the medical product regulatory process, the FDA launched the FDA Patient Network website on April 23.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a blog post that the agency hopes “to expand the role of patients beyond the select group of patient representatives and to engage a wider audience of patients in new and broader ways.”

The interactive website will broaden channels of communication with the public by featuring live chats with senior agency officials, and welcoming their feedback on the development and regulation of drug products, according to Hamburg. The website offers opportunities for members of the public to join the Patient Representative Program, where they can serve on an advisory committee, consult on review divisions that look at safety of medications and present at FDA workshops on disease-specific or regulatory and health policy issues.

The website also serves as a resource for understanding the drug and device approval process and the ins and outs of off-label uses. A bimonthly online newsletter, Patient Network News, also is available.

“It ushers in a new era of access and input for patients and consumers that will evolve with the needs of both communities,” Hamburg wrote.