Last night I was chatting with someone after class at Stanford (excuse me while I pick that name up off the floor) about my perception of the FDA and realized we’ve come a long way. In particular, I recalled seeing Bennett Dunlap literally sitting at the table with the FDA, talking about the accuracy of our blood glucose meters. I can’t speak for other disease communities, but seeing one of “us” there with one of “them” is something I never would have anticipated five years ago.

An organization like the FDA has to move slow. The health of the country is in their hands. When it comes to reviews, recalls, reports, and other ‘r’ words, they have to take their time to ensure they’ve done their due diligence to get things right. That approach is what makes the conversation Bennett had all the more important. An entity as massive as the FDA doesn’t pivot in an instant. They don’t turn on a dime. Change is a slow, gradual process over there. That’s why it’s important for us to applaud, encourage, and continue to support efforts that recognize and include patient communities in their processes.

Every time they look to “us”, the patient community, we have to be ready to support the mere fact that they are including us in the conversation. Feedback on open dockets, like blood glucose meter accuracy offer an excellent opportunity to say “thank you for giving us an opportunity to share what we think, let’s do this again, as often as possible.”, or something like that.

My point is, when the FDA looks to the patient community for feedback, we have to speak up. We have to speak up not only for ourselves, our loved ones, and each other – we have to speak up for other disease communities who deserve a chance to be part of the discussion. We have to speak up to reinforce that this type of action is most welcome, and should be pursued as often as possible.

To that end, here’s your next opportunity to speak up. You can go to diatribe.org/survey and help inform the FDA on what matters most to you. 

On November 3 from 1pm-4pm EDT, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the diabetes community will host an unprecedented event to discuss unmet needs in diabetes. As a community, our job is to present the numerous challenges we as patients face each day, and we need your opinions to be a part of this discussion! Please fill out this short survey to share your thoughts on what’s important to you when it comes to living with diabetes. Your feedback will go directly to FDA and help influence the conversation on November 3.

Please answer the questions that follow as honestly as you can. Your answers could affect the way the FDA perceives unmet needs in diabetes, and ultimately, how it reviews the risks and benefits of new drugs and devices.

When an opportunity like this presents itself, we have to act. Together. As engaged patients, as people with diabetes, as the advocates we are. Please, take a few minutes to fill this survey out.