FDA Still Struggling With Inspector Shortages
Lack of Plan for Hiring and Retaining Inspectors
The FDA is still struggling with a lack of inspectors, but the agency doesn't have a plan for hiring and retaining more inspectors, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The report found that the FDA has lost more than 1,000 inspectors over the past decade, and the agency is currently short about 200 inspectors.
The GAO report also found that the FDA does not have a comprehensive plan for hiring and retaining inspectors.
Inadequate Training and Onboarding
The report also found that the FDA's training and onboarding process for new inspectors is inadequate.
The GAO report found that new inspectors are not given enough training on the agency's policies and procedures.
The report also found that new inspectors are not given enough time to shadow experienced inspectors.
Recommendations to Improve Situation
The GAO report made several recommendations to the FDA to improve the situation, including:
- Developing a comprehensive plan for hiring and retaining inspectors
- Improving the training and onboarding process for new inspectors
- Providing more support to inspectors in the field
FDA Response to Report
The FDA has not yet released a formal response to the GAO report.
However, the agency has said that it is committed to working with Congress to address the inspector shortage.
Conclusion
The FDA is still struggling with a lack of inspectors, but the agency doesn't have a plan for hiring and retaining more inspectors.
The GAO report found that the FDA has lost more than 1,000 inspectors over the past decade, and the agency is currently short about 200 inspectors.
The GAO report also found that the FDA does not have a comprehensive plan for hiring and retaining inspectors.
The report made several recommendations to the FDA to improve the situation, but the agency has not yet released a formal response.
