The 1990-1991 Gulf War made clear the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) need to effectively acquire drugs and biologics, mainly vaccines, as American troops faced the real threat of chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agents being used in combat. More than a decade after the war, DoD still experiences acute obstacles in obtaining CBW defense supplies. In response, the authors look at the department’s relationship with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and suggest ways to improve it through such means as centralizing the department’s acquisition authority and further educating DoD personnel.
