FDA Reverses Office Order, Lets Staff Work From Home

Key TakeawaysThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration will let drug reviewers work remotely again at least two days a weekRecent layoffs and resignations have raised concerns about agency operationsNearly half of the FDA’s funding comes from fees paid by drug and device companies.THURSDAY, April 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Weeks after ordering staff back to the office, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now letting some employees work from home again.The move follows major staff cuts and resignations that threaten the agency’s ability to approve new medicines among other basic functions, The Associated Press reported.An internal email shared with staff on Tuesday said FDA leadership are now “allowing review staff and supervisors to resume telework” at least twice a week.Three current FDA employees confirmed the new policy to The AP. They said similar rules were shared with staff who handle vaccines, medical devices and biotech drugs.The decision follows major disruptions in the federal health workforce.About 3,400 FDA employees — more than 15% of the agency — were laid off last week. The cuts — by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE — are part of a broader Trump administration push to slim down the federal workforce.Entire teams working on FDA policy and communications were cut. High-level officials in charge of drugs, tobacco and vaccines have also been let go or have resigned.“Devastating, haphazard, thoughtless and chaotic,” is how former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler described the layoffs during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing.The telework decision may be part of a larger effort by newly confirmed FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary to rebuild the agency’s staffing efforts.He made his first visit to FDA headquarters one day after the mass layoffs, according to The Associated Press.“Dr. Makary needs to rebuild teams and restart the engine of productivity lost to weeks of job insecurity, uncertainty and shortages of team members,” Steven Grossman, a former HHS official, said. “Turning commuting time back into work time is a great first step in achieving both.”The cuts dovetail with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan to reduce the health workforce by 10,000 positions.When he announced that plan, Kennedy said FDA drug reviewers and safety inspectors would not be affected. But many reviewers were among those cut or asked to leave, according to The AP.Most of these reviewers are funded by industry fees, not taxpayer money. In fact, nearly half of the FDA’s $7 billion budget comes from fees paid by drug, device and tobacco companies. About 70% of the FDA’s drug program is paid for this way.If Congress cuts FDA’s federal funding below a certain level, the user fee agreements say companies can stop paying fees.These agreements, which support most of the FDA's staff, must be renewed by Congress every five years. Negotiations between the FDA and industry groups to renew them are set to begin later this year.“I don’t think the agency nor regulated industry can afford for ‘user fees’ not to be reauthorized,” Michael Gaba, an attorney who advises FDA-regulated companies, said.More informationLearn more about the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.SOURCE: The Associated Press, April 9, 2025.What This Means For YouThe FDA is facing big changes that could slow approval of new drugs and treatments, but the return of remote work may help stabilize things -- for now..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

FDA Reverses Office Order, Lets Staff Work From Home

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