S.W.O.T. Analysis. SWOT Analysis in the Strategic

S.W.O.T. Analysis.

SWOT analysis in the strategic financial planning process:

FDA (Food and Drug Administration)

The FDA, as part of the Department of Health and Human Services, regulates food, drug, tobacco products and other matters that pertain to consumer health and safety. It is charged with "protecting the public health by assuring that foods are safe, wholesome, sanitary and properly labeled; human and veterinary drugs, and vaccines and other biological products and medical devices intended for human use are safe and effective" (What does the FDA do, 2012, FDA).

Strengths

The FDA's mission of upholding consumer safety is widely supported by the public. It periodically posts information regarding the recall of dangerous products, providing a resource for the public and holding companies accountable. This ensures there will be sustained support for funding the organization. Although there have been calls to cut other departments, in general the public has grown more, rather than less supportive of additional government oversight over food and drug products.

Weaknesses

The FDA's objectivity and effectiveness has been called into question. "FDA needs to, among other things, improve the data it uses to manage the foreign drug inspection program, conduct more inspections of foreign establishments, systematically prioritize and track promotional materials for review, and adopt management tools to ensure that drug sponsors comply with regulations on the presentation of clinical trial results," read a recent report by Government Accountability Office (GAO) (FDA facing increasing criticism and calls for restructuring, 2009, AACR). The GAO noted that the FDA's budget has not kept pace with its responsibilities given recent scientific and technological advances, "challenging new safety problems, and the globalization of industries that it is charged to regulate" (FDA facing increasing criticism and calls for restructuring, 2009, AACR).

Widespread criticism of the FDA's lack of vigilance has also led to mistrust of the organization's ability to be effective. The FDA has a very broad mission as an organization, which can make effective use of organizational resources a challenge.

Opportunities

In 2011, Congress passed a law calling "for the FDA to significantly step up scrutiny of domestic and imported food and devise a new system aimed at preventing the kind of contamination that sickens one in six Americans every year" (Layton 2011). This occurred after several widely-publicized food contamination scares in products as varied as "spinach, peanuts and cookie dough" (Layton 2011). There have also been calls for the FDA to exercise increased scrutiny over herbal supplements and other natural products not subject to the same regulations as pharmaceuticals. These efforts underline the vital nature of the FDA.