Data from the U.S. Military Health System will soon help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration make decisions affecting the safety and use of FDA-regulated products for all Americans.
The FDA, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense have announced a partnership to share data and expertise related to the review and use of FDA-regulated drugs, biologics, and medical devices.
General patient data such as prescriptions, lab results and patient weight will be used by the FDA to spot trends, which may identify potential concerns as well as recognize benefits of products.
The two agencies will protect all personal health information exchanged under the agreement, in accordance with federal law.
"FDA is privileged to collaborate with DoD to protect the health of all Americans," said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D. "The opportunity to create systems to monitor the safety of products should directly benefit those cared for by the armed services as well as many others."