Safer + Cheaper Drugs

Made in the USA: The return of drug manufacturing to the U.S. could help improve drug safety, cost, and accessibility for patients with chronic disease. Dr. Janet Woodcock is director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. She tells us about new technologies and processes to make this possible. Also, Dr. Bob celebrates his birthday by looking into Medicare options. Field correspondent Kate Pecora speaks with Mark Olsen, who describes the challenges of securing adequate healthcare and education for his son who lives with a rare disease.  Guest: Janet Woodcock, M.D. Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Since Dr. Janet Woodcock joined the FDA in 1986, she has led numerous FDA drug initiatives while maintaining the reliability of the FDA's regulatory process. She has worked to incorporate risk management practices into evaluating drug safety and has taken the lead on efforts to update drug manufacturing procedures and regulations, an effort known as the "Pharmaceutical Quality for the 21st Initiative." Dr. Woodcock also recently launched two new drug safety initiatives to improve safety management and regulation. In her current position, Dr. Woodcock's organization works to ensure the effectiveness of drugs, provides data and instructions to health care providers and patients, and monitors clinical trials of new drugs.  Dr. Woodcock received her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.  Hosts: Terry Wilcox, Executive Director, Patients Rising Dr. Robert Goldberg, "Dr. Bob", Co-Founder and Vice President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Kate Pecora, Field Correspondent  Links: Asymptomatic spread of Coronavirus is 'very rare,' WHO says Manufacturing API, Drugs and Excipients (MADE) in America Act  Patients Rising Concierge  Need help? The successful patient is one who can get what they need when they need it. We all know insurance slows us down, so why not take matters into your own hands. Our Navigator is an online tool that allows you to search a massive network of health-related resources using your zip code so you get local results. Get proactive and become a more successful patient right now at PatientsRisingConcierge.org Have a question or comment about the show, want to suggest a show topic or share your story as a patient correspondent? Drop us a line: [email protected] The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the guest(s)/ author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of Patients Rising.