The U.S. Department of Food and Drug Administration is an agency in the United States, which is responsible for the protection and the promotion of the public health of the nation. The Food and Drug Administration has its headquarters in Rockville, MD along with more than two hundred field offices, which are aptly supported by 13 laboratories, situated throughout the country, along with the U.S.
Virgin Islands, as well as Puerto Rico.

It is an agency with the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for the supervision as well as regulation of the safety of drugs, biological medical products, foods, dietary supplements, vaccines, radiation-emitting devices, blood products, veterinary products, medical devices, as well as cosmetic products. It is also authorized to enforce various regulations, which includes sanitation requirements in terms of interstate travel apart from specific rules for the control of diseases on products, in regard to assisted reproductive medicine techniques.

The Food and Drug Administration is organized into various subdivisions, each focusing on a major area in terms of regulatory responsibility. They include The Office of the Commissioner, The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, The Center for Devices and Radiological Health, The Center for Veterinary Medicine, The National Center for Toxicological Research, The Office of Regulatory Affairs and The Office of Criminal Investigations.

The Consumer Safety Officers, who are also known as Investigators, are the individuals, who take care of the inspection in regard to production, as well as warehousing facilities. They also investigate outbreaks, complaints and illnesses, as well as review documentation in case of drugs, biological products, medical devices, as well as other items where it might be difficult to carry out a physical examination.

As it is, most of the federal laws, which are administered through the Food and Drug Administration, are codified under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Other major laws, which have been enforced by the Food and Drug Administration, include the Federal Anti-Tampering Act, sections of the Controlled Substances Act, the Public Health Service Act, along with several other acts. In different cases the responsibilities are shared along with other federal agencies.

The Food and Drug Administration frequently works in support with other Federal agencies, which include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Agriculture, Customs and Border Protection, as well as Consumer Product Safety Commission. Quite often local, as well as state government agencies work in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration for the purpose of providing regulatory inspections, as well as enforcement action.

Tags: food and drug administration, public health, united states department