FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
March 26, 2025
Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force Statement on Confirmation of Dr. Makary
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the United States Senate voted to confirm Dr. Martin Makary to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force looks forward to working with Commissioner Makary and his team as FDA navigates the evolving public health and regulatory landscape.
As physicians, we rely on the FDA to ensure that the treatments we prescribe our patients are safe and effective. To provide this assurance and uphold its status as the “gold standard” around the world in regulating medical products, a fully staffed FDA is essential. Having appropriate capacity is also crucial for regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical devices, overseeing and enforcing postmarket studies, monitoring drug shortages, and providing guidance on emerging scientific issues. We remain deeply concerned that the widespread mass reductions in staff, as championed by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will severely hinder FDA’s ability to fulfill its mission to promote public health and enable timely access to new treatments. We urge Commissioner Makary to push back against these sweeping workforce reductions to not compromise FDA’s role as a critical safeguard for protecting patients.
As FDA Commissioner, we urge Dr. Makary to put patients over politics and patients over profits by ensuring the agency retains the scientific experts and support staff necessary to maintain FDA’s high standards for the safety and efficacy of drugs, devices, and other medical products. We as an independent organization of physicians across specialties with no ties to any aspect of the healthcare industry stand ready to work with the Commissioner to advance our shared goal of protecting patients and public health.
For press inquiries and to speak more on this issue with members of the Doctors for America FDA Task Force please contact Alli Everton with Continuum Health Group ([email protected]).
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. DFA is an organization of over 27,000 physician and medical student advocates in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. DFA teaches physicians and medical students advocacy skills and does advocacy at a state and federal level. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies, which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.