As if that wasn’t bad enough, they’re considering outsourcing them to a group with strong ties to the pharmaceutical industry.  Sounds like a bad idea to mw.

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering outsourcing decisions about the effectiveness of antibiotics, according to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D., Conn.).

"It is very troubling that the agency would consider outsourcing an essential function," according to a letter DeLauro sent Tuesday to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. DeLauro chairs a House subcommittee that appropriates money to the agency.

The role of antibiotics in treating patients with bacterial infections can be a touchy subject. If the powerful medicines are overused, bacteria can mutate and become resistant. The FDA oversees the approval of antibiotics and plays a key role in determining the role of the drugs as infections change

Source: DeLauro: FDA May Outsource Antibiotic Decisions – WSJ.com