The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced plans to reverse some of the layoffs that were implemented earlier this year, citing disruptions in drug and food safety work. The move marks a significant reversal for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who initially planned to cut 3,500 employees from the FDA.
The reversals affect several hundred employees, including scientists working on drug safety labs in Puerto Rico and Detroit, as well as food safety labs in Chicago and San Francisco. Support staff for the FDA’s inspectors are also being brought back, with around two dozen of nearly 200 support staff members seeing their layoffs reversed.
However, concerns remain over the impact of the cuts on the agency’s inspection work. Cuts to the Office of Inspections and Investigations have taken a toll on the agency’s ability to conduct foreign inspections, leading to delays and disruptions in the process. Around 60% of planned foreign inspections have yet to be completed, with some officials saying that inspectors have been asked to find ways to “pivot” to local inspections instead.
The layoffs have also affected the FDA’s drug safety work, with scientists reporting delays and complications in checking the shelf life of medical treatments stockpiled by the federal government. The agency’s labs had already been struggling with supply chain issues, which slowed their work on purchasing essential supplies.
Kennedy has previously hinted at some reversals, but the latest move is seen as a significant step towards addressing concerns over inspection and safety work disruptions. However, officials face ongoing challenges, including a federal hiring freeze and depleted ranks of supervisors for inspectors.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-to-reverse-some-layoffs-food-drug-safety