US legislation could block public access to drug safety information, claim consumer groups

A provision in the Food and Drug Administration Reform Act that would block public access to potentially important health and safety information should be removed or substantially narrowed, say consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen and 20 other groups in a letter sent to key lawmakers.

Section 812 of the Food and Drug Administration Reform Act (HR 5651), which will be voted on by the US House of Representatives on this week, allows the FDA to deny the public access to information relating to drugs obtained from a federal, state, local or foreign government agency if the agency has requested that the information be kept confidential. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), however, already provides exemptions to protect against the release of many law enforcement records, confidential commercial information and trade secrets, the letter said.

Overly broad exemption would be created