The United States Food and Drug Administration saves millions of lives every year. Whether it's a defected drug, an expired product, or a downright illegal prescription, the FDA is always there to search out illegal or dangerous activities and right those wrongs. The FDA uses a lot of different tactics to make sure that hospitals are using safe drugs on their patients and creating the right diagnoses. The FDA has a few major focuses, and spends their time and effort on these categories.

For one, the FDA focuses on innovation. In February 2012, the FDA launched an initiative to encourage the invention of safe and approved medical devices and medications for patients. People are always searching for more efficient and effective medical solutions, and the FDA encourages this. Unfortunately, many projects are not fool-proof, and it takes inventors a long time and a lot of trial and error to perfect a medication or a medical device. The FDA oversees this trial and error process, so that hospitals will not use materials that are not approved by the government. No one wants to find out that their medication was an experiment and came with unexpected side effects, or that a new device is not perfected and will malfunction during a surgery.

The FDA is responsible for regulating the product and manufacturing establishment licensing, and the safety of the nation's blood supply. They also research to establish product standards. The Administration has their hands full with plenty of cosmetics, foods, and vet products to monitor, on top of all medical devices and drugs. When it comes to drugs, the FDA is responsible for all product approvals, and for making sure that the labeling on drugs is correct and contains all the necessary information. As well, the FDA makes sure that the factories manufacturing these drugs are operating according to a very strict code, so that people are getting their medications from a clean and safe environment.

When it comes to medical devices, the FDA is in charge of premarket approval of all new devices. They also monitor that manufacturing and performance standards, and track reports of device malfunctioning. If the device continues to have bugs that cause malfunctions, and people were harmed by using the device, the FDA may choose to remove it so that it is not harmful to patients in hospitals. If you were victim of a malfunctioning medical device, a mislabeled drug, or a badly manufactured medicine, then you may want to take your complaint up with the FDA. They can then track the use of the product that harmed you, and see whether or not the hospital, manufacturer, or the FDA is at fault.

Along a manufacturing process there are many opportunities to make mistakes. One slip up can create a chain reaction and hurt many people. According to their website, the FDA is "responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs... and medical devices." The FDA also works to help medication inventors to get the scientific information and research that they need to create a quality product that will help, instead of hurt, mankind. The FDA also works as part of the federal government's counter-terrorism movement, to make sure that there are no public health threats in foods or medications that are being issued to patients throughout the US.

With this Administration watching out for your health and comfort, you shouldn't be privy to any harmful medications or devices. Yet sometimes hospitals make a mistake. If you are harmed by a medication or a medical device prescribed by your doctor, you may have the grounds to sue for medical malpractice. Contact a medical malpractice attorney to discuss your situation and determine whether or not you should receive compensation. Also, you may want to e-mail the FDA to let them know about a defect machine or medicine, in order to save other patients from the same fate that you struggled through.