FDA Approved, FDA Cleared, FDA Registered: What Do These Terms Actually Mean?

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash Before you read: I use LLMs to help me proofread and edit my writing. What follows reflects my own thoughts and experiences — read on if you feel it’s worth your time. More on AI usage. Walk through a pharmacy aisle, scroll through social media, or search for a health gadget online, and you will see phrases like: “FDA approved” “FDA cleared” “FDA registered” “FDA listed” “Clinically tested” “Doctor recommended” These phrases sound official. Some of them are meaningful. Some are incomplete. Some are used in ways that can mislead regular people. The most important thing to understand is this: “FDA regulated” does not always mean “FDA approved.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, regulates many things we use every day, including medicines, vaccines, medical devices, some food ingredients, cosmetics, tobacco products, and dietary supplements. But the level of FDA review depends on what the product is and what claims the company is making.…