NCL praises outgoing FDA Commissioner Hamburg – National Consumers League

February 5, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC– The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneer consumer advocacy organization, thanks Dr. Margaret Hamburg for her service to the Food and Drug Administration as Commissioner.

“Dr. Hamburg’s leadership at the FDA will be sorely missed,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of NCL. “Under her leadership, the FDA implemented key food safety provisions, stood up for broad access to contraception for women,  advancing the safety of medical devices, and speeding up safe and effective drug treatments and devices. Dr. Hamburg was particularly effective at convening and including diverse voices to best serve American consumers.”

In 2011, NCL honored Hamburg with the Trumpeter Award. NCL noted that Hamburg is  “one of the most powerful and influential voices in public health, working to protect the safety of the food supply, provide access to safe and effective medical products, and find innovative ways to prevent illness and promote health.” Hamburg served as the health commissioner in New York City, the youngest person to serve in that role,  and earned praise for her effective programs that battled tuberculosis, slowed the spread of AIDS, and boosted childhood immunization rates.

Hamburg was confirmed as FDA Commissioner by the U.S. Senate in 2009; she is among the longest-serving FDA commissioners the modern era. NCL salutes her for her legacy as FDA Commissioner and for her friendship and support for NCL’s medication adherence program, Script Your Future.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.