From: Andrew Okun [aokun@mediaone.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 9:01 PM
To: EXECSEC
Subject: Antibiotic Reporting System

To: Jane E. Henney, M.D., Commissioner, U. S. Food and Drug Administration

Dear Commissioner Henney,

It is of utmost importance that the United States government take a leading
role in combatting the problem of developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
It has been clear for some years that this is a growing problem that
threatens to become a true crisis.  However, it is hard to modify or even
analyze the possibility of the overuse of antibiotics when we don't have an
accurate measure of their use to begin with. The FDA has recognized the need
for an antibiotic use reporting system, but we still don't have one.  It is
the FDA's responsibility to take the lead in gathering this data and to act
quickly.

Thank you very much.

Andrew Okun
Los Angeles
310-448-3124