3 ms·

I can't even begin to imagine how horrific the world would become if our way of determining whether all drugs were safe was reduced to just Googling for reviews

I can't even begin to imagine how horrific the world would become if our way of determining whether all drugs were safe was reduced to just Googling for reviews about them. In what world does Googling for reviews result in accurate, unbiased, independent product information? Can I have some of what you're smoking? (I'll be sure to Google it first.) The idea is getting a negative response because this is a tech savvy community, everyone here is well aware that Google is an abusive monopoly that's far more concerned with leveraging its market power to line its pockets than it is with delivering accurate information. I can maybe buy that a free market solution could work for this, but citing Google as an example of a free market... nah, actually, I can't buy it at all. Are we really floating the idea that we don't need an FDA because Consumer Reports could do all the research we need to determine whether drugs are safe after they hit the market?

jalapenos 3y ago
Perhaps you could keep the FDA, as a purely advisory institution. FDA approves you? Your product gets an FDA sticker. Otherwise, you sell it without one. Then people could choose how much they care what the FDA thinks. After all, the FDA rubber stamped the opioids. Your friendly local heroin dealer can gives you the same stamp of approval for his poppy based products. Also prevents the FDA actively killing people by raising the barriers to getting new drugs to them in time. Win win for all (except the FDA I suppose).