RYAN HAMPTON: OPINION –
March 14, 2019 – Gottlieb’s tenure was marked by slight successes and major missteps. One example of the former: In December 2018, the FDA approved a mobile medical app to aid individuals with substance use disorder recovering through outpatient treatment. Such digital tools could be a key part of recovery outcomes if their development and marketing are successful.
But Gottlieb failed to advance critical innovations and continued to approve medications that will only exacerbate the epidemic. He was vocal about the threat of the crisis, stating in October 2017 that opioids are the “biggest crisis facing public health officials,” yet his actions rarely matched his words.
