FDA rarely forces manufacturers to recall dangerous medical devices, watchdog report finds

The Food and Drug Administration rarely uses its authority to pull dangerous medical devices off the shelves and is so poorly staffed that it’s unable to make sure companies are taking critical steps to protect patients during health crises, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

The inquiry by the congressional watchdog was requested nearly two years ago by top members of the U.S. Senate in the wake of an investigation about the 2021 recall of breathing machines that threatened the health of millions of Americans.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and ProPublica revealed that the FDA had received hundreds of complaints over many years about the machines made by Philips Respironics, which operated two sprawling facilities near Pittsburgh and was once among the large