The FDA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA regulates food, dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices. With regards to drugs, the FDA can either approve or reject drugs that drug manufacturers want to put on the market. The FDA is also responsible for monitoring drug safety once a drug does get put on the market. This process includes taking, reviewing, and recording reports of dangerous side effects in connection with drugs.
Reports of side effects are then posted on the FDA’s website to inform the public. If a high number of reports are received, the FDA may order that the manufacturer provide an additional warning or conduct additional studies to determine whether or not the drug is safe. The FDA may also issue safety communications to the public via the FDA website. However, even with this monitoring process, many people can still be injured by dangerous drugs.