This week, the Center for U.S. Policy sent a letter to the FDA, urging the agency to disregard comments from Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP), an activist group known for its anti-opioid, anti-pharma stance. PROP opposed the FDA’s funding for improvements to substance misuse surveys conducted by the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS) System.
The RADARS System is a surveillance mechanism dedicated to collecting data about substance misuse. RADARS plays a crucial role for manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and medical and public health officials in characterizing and responding to medication diversion and substance misuse. Despite RADARS’ substantial contributions to public health, including identifying trends related to medication diversion, substance misuse, and addiction ahead of other research entities, PROP challenged its independence and criticized its receipt of revenue from pharmaceutical manufacturers.
In response, CUSP countered PROP’s assertions, describing the independent governance structure of the RADARS System and describing the system’s critical role as one of the most significant sources of data deployed to address substance misuse, substance use disorders, and drug poisonings. CUSP urged the FDA to disregard PROP’s criticism and proceed in funding improvements to RADARS System surveys.
Read the letter here.