FDA rules "put elderly at risk," GAO says

A study by the US Government Accountability Office has found that elderly patients are often excluded from clinical trials for new prescription drugs, while the Food and Drug Administration's procedures do not always ensure that the effects of new products on people across different age groups is recorded. As a result, the GAO claims that elderly people, who disproportionately consume drugs, may be put at risk.

The FDA response to the GAO argument stated that the audit had failed to take into account longstanding and extensive efforts to ensure that clinical trials include proper representation for older people. However, the Bloomberg business news agency reported that medical journals had documented the issues over several years.

The Chairman of the US House of Representatives' Government Oversight and Reform Committee, Henry Waxman (Democrat, California), said that "seniors use more drugs than any other age group, but they are not getting enough attention in the drug approval process."