Obama signs order to address drug shortages (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama on Monday signed an executive order to make the Food and Drug Administration to step up work to identify and reduce shortages of vital drugs and urged Congress to build on his action.

In an Oval Office ceremony to sign the executive order -- the fifth in a series of unilateral White House initiatives on social and economic issues -- Obama said the administration had decided it could not wait for Congress to act.

"Congress has been trying since February to do something about this. It has not yet been able to get it done. It is the belief of this administration that ... we can't wait," he said. "I still urge Congress to move forward and build on this executive order."

(Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111031/hl_nm/us_obama_fda

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