Source:POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 3/19/20

After suspending foreign inspections of foods and drugs last week, the agency is now cutting back on basic domestic inspections as well for food, tobacco, drugs and medical devices, writes Pro Health Care's David Lim.

"These are facility inspections the FDA traditionally conducts every few years based on a risk analysis," Commissioner Stephen Hahn announced Wednesday. The domestic violation rate at regulated firms was roughly 5 percent in fiscal 2019, according to the FDA.

Going digital: The agency plans to review records instead of sending inspectors to visit firms in person, and officials are "evaluating additional ways to conduct our inspectional work." Hahn also said "safety and quality need to be owned by the industry, and firms have the primary responsibility to reliably produce quality products."