The move has been strongly influenced by the public outcry over the withdrawal of the painkiller Vioxx and would include follow-up studies detailing how the drugs are being used.
A recent report by the Institute of Medicine criticized the way the FDA handled the Vioxx situation, saying the agency needs to put more of an emphasis on safety.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach said, "It will be a continuous process of improvement. The initiatives we are announcing today are not the full story, nor are they the final chapter in that story."
The Institute of Medicine report urges the government to provide more funds to the FDA, and give the agency the authority to make sure drug companies are transparent in their reporting of ongoing findings.
According to agency drug Chief Dr. Steven Galson, the FDA began collecting data from public and private health care databases to detect emerging safety problems. Additionally, the agency has also promised to begin writing newsletters which would bring to light safety reviews of older drugs and discover possible problems before they grow to the proportions seen in a case like Vioxx.
