The previous government’s plan to downsize the federal workforce reached the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the past weekend. Recent hires, whose duties included the assessment of food ingredients and medical devices safety, among other products, were let go. Unclear is the total number of terminated positions, however, the layoffs seemed to primarily target individuals working in the agency’s divisions dedicated to food, medical devices, and tobacco products—the latter includes the supervision of electronic cigarettes.
Incidentally, there was no information available regarding whether FDA personnel who conduct drug reviews were included in these layoffs. Prior to the weekend, on Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared its intention to dismiss approximately 5,200 probational staff across its departments. These departments include the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In conversations, people have estimated that the number of probational staff to be laid off at the CDC could amount to nearly 1,300 individuals. However, as of early Sunday afternoon, approximately 700 individuals had received termination notices. Reportedly, these layoffs did not affect the young doctors and researchers, who are integral to the tracking of diseases in the Epidemic Intelligence Service, a CDC initiative.
The FDA, with nearly 20,000 employees, runs its operations from the outskirts of Washington, in the Maryland suburbs. The agency has been accused of conducting a ‘war on public health’ by not validating untested treatments such as psychedelics, stem cells, and chelation therapy.
Included in the layoffs occurring at the FDA were the employees responsible for examining the safety of new ingredients and additives in food. The FDA operates on a $6.9 billion budget, almost half of which is sourced from fees paid by the companies the agency supervises. This unique funding mechanism allows the FDA to employ additional scientists for expedited product reviews.
Terminating these positions, however, won’t result in the reduction of government spending. A former official of the FDA expressed concerns stating that these layoffs, primarily impacting more recent hires, could potentially disrupt the agency’s operations, as these individuals are typically younger with current technical skills.
The FDA workforce predominantly consists of veteran employees, who have spent ten to twenty years at the agency. This is partly attributed to the FDA’s historical struggle in retaining personnel due to the more lucrative options in the private sector. However, it is not just the recruitment and retention that the FDA has struggled with; it has also experienced difficulty keeping up with the departures in the inspection force during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a reaction to the rapid turnover during the health crisis, many of FDA’s current inspectors were hired recently. Although, it was not specified whether these employees were exempted from the sweep of layoffs. The primary role of FDA inspectors involves the regulation of numerous facilities of food, drugs, tobacco products, and medical devices globally.
Naturally, the agency has had to manage a backlog of roughly 2,000 yet-to-be-inspected drug facilities, untouched since before the onset of the pandemic. In addition to this daunting task, the inspection force of the agency has been criticized for lack of speed in addressing recent issues involving baby food, infant formula, and eyedrops.
In the larger context, the resultant downsizing of specialists responsible for the safety of the products we consume raises questions surrounding public health and safety. In a time when health concerns are paramount, the staffing cuts could be seen as undermining the critical role of these agencies. Existing employees are likely to face an increased workload, potentially leading to exhaustion and oversights.
The FDA continues to be an integral part of the country’s healthcare system, and any disruption in its function could have far-reaching consequences. The government’s aim to reduce public expenditure through layoffs may not necessarily result in the desired savings. In fact, it could indirectly propagate a chain of potential health risks for the general public, due to reduced operational efficiency.
Looking forward, this staff reduction could compromise the FDA’s ability to timely review and approve new treatments, medical devices, and food ingredients. With a smaller team, there’s an increased likelihood of delays, which could adversely affect industries that rely on the FDA’s approval processes to release their products to the market.
The layoffs might also push promising talent in the field towards more lucrative private sector positions, creating a further talent gap within the FDA. If left unchecked, this situation could exacerbate further, possibly leading to a long term destabilization of the organization.
The decision to layoff personnel, particularly those newly hired, amidst a global health crisis might also be viewed through a critical lens by the global community. Such cuts could be perceived as a move to limit the state’s involvement in health regulation at a time when it is most needed, especially given the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic.
More broadly speaking, the government’s attempt to reduce the federal workforce has stirred up a hornet’s nest of concerns within the industry and beyond. The frontline workers in these agencies have carried out critical tasks under challenging circumstances during the pandemic, and they continue to do so in its aftermath. As such, mustering global attention to these issues from a public health perspective becomes important.
While it remains to be seen what the precise ramifications of these layoffs will be, it’s fair to say that sustained functionality of FDA is vital. Not only to the public health landscape in America but also globally, given its path-breaking work in disease control and regulation. Thus, ensuring a competent and sizeable workforce to carry out its mission seems crucial.