FDA Expands Online Presence for Consumers

The economy is bad news that just keeps on giving. Big Pharma appears to be playing hard ball with consumers before the passage of healthcare reform. I swear I can hear my checkbook scream now whenever I watch the news on TV.

The March of Dimes just released its 2009 Premature Birth Report Card in which people can get information regarding premature births by state. With over half a million preterm births, the nation as a whole faired poorly. You can review the data and methodology here.

Syphilis is back with a vengeance. Teens appear to be increasingly affected by STDs, according to the CDC, with approximately half of the annual 19 million new infections occurring in adolescents and young adults 15 to 24 years of age. Meanwhile, researchers are reporting a high correlation between the number of teen births and the state level of religiosity. Both articles lend support to the position that we need to rethink abstinence-only sex education programs.

The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its online presence. Healthcare IT News is reporting that the FDA is collaborating with EverydayHealth.com to bring news to consumers. A co-branded newsletter will also address children’s health topics. The link in the press release has a colon at the end that invalidates it, so if you want to get a look at homepage, click here. This strategy for disseminating information may be a win for the FDA on several fronts. I don’t know very many people who look for healthcare related product information on the FDA website, which — let’s face it – isn’t designed to appeal to the general public.