A recent poll on PharmTech.com asked readers whether FDA should have the authority to issue recalls for pharmaceutical products, and 86% of readers were in favor of allowing the agency to do so. The question read, “FDA recently was granted the authority to issue recalls for food products. Should the agency have this power for pharmaceuticals as well?”

At the time of my blog post from last week, the survey had received roughly 130 responses and 90% of readers had voted “Yes.” The final count for the poll was a total of 211 respondents, with 86% voting in favor of expanding FDA’s authority.

These results show that the idea of granting FDA mandatory drug recall authority has more support from PharmTech.com voters than it did in June, when we initially asked the question. In June, 72% voted “yes,” compared with the recent poll, which had 50% more respondents, that featured 86% voting favorably. Perhaps the increase in “yes” votes is due to FDA recently gaining the ability to issue mandatory food recalls under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law early last month. We’d like to hear from you—why do feel that the agency should or should not have drug-recall authority?