FDA budget
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
President Bush's fiscal 2004 budget proposal calls for $1 mil. increase in funding for OTC-related activity, which would be used in part to "develop and work toward finalizing standards...for analgesic, antiseptic, laxative and sunscreen drug products for OTC use." Increase would boost OTC budget 10.6% to nearly $10.4 mil. and would be used to add seven full time equivalent OTC employees, bringing the total number to 69. Under the proposal, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition spending would decrease 2.5% to $144.4 mil., but the decline would be offset by increased funding for field activities, which would grow 1.8% to $268.9 mil. FDA's total FY '04 budget request comes to almost $1.41 bil., up about 1.6% from the FY 2003 proposed funding level. Including user fees, the agency is requesting $1.71 bil., a 3.5% increase...