Originally Published MXSeptember/October 2003

EDITOR'S PAGE

No matter how much a plan is talked about, there's nothing like expressing it on the printed page to make it real.

That principle would seem to apply especially well to FDA's recently announced strategic action plan, Protecting and Advancing America's Health: Responding to New Challenges and Opportunities. Under development practically since last October's confirmation of new commissioner Mark B. McClellan, the plan has been the subject of many of the commissioner's speeches since the beginning of the year. But it was not until the end of this August that the agency finally formalized the plan and made it public.

The new document offers an overview of agency planning and priorities under five headings that have become familiar themes in the commissioner's speeches:

o Efficient risk management.
o Improving healthcare through better information.
o Improving patient and consumer safety.
o Protecting America from terrorism.
o Smarter regulation through a stronger workforce.