Under Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drugs Administration Act of 2009, the new FDA (former BFAD) will have expanded authority and increased regulatory capacity in the Philippines. The new law will help make it easier for the government to make medicines affordable and accessible to the public and guarantee their, efficacy, high quality, and safety. This law would complement the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 or Republic Act 9052.
The FDA will have the power to immediately recall, ban, or withdraw medical products that fail safety standards or are found to pose a threat to the public. In addition, the agency will be authorized to inspect facilities for compliance and seize products that have safety issues. The FDA would also have fiscal independence, where they could retain income to hire new personnel, upgrade laboratory facilities, and purchase necessary testing equipment. All of these actions would not require government approval.
There will be separate centers for every major product category to streamline the regulation of manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, and sale. Therefore, there will be a center for drug regulation and research in addition to a center for device regulation, radiation, health, and research.