The head of the US FDA, Commissioner Marty Makary, plans to introduce bonus payments to drug inspectors who complete reviews ahead of schedule.[1][2] It's a pilot program that was introduced to employees on Thursday, with the first quarterly bonuses expected to be paid out around August.[1][2] The program only applies to employees directly involved in drug review, not, for example, factory inspectors.[1][3] Bonus payments will be determined based on weighted time savings, evaluation of work quality and task complexity.[1][2] The goal is to reward efficient, high-quality work that benefits patients.[1][3] About 70% of the FDA's drug program budget is funded by fees from pharmaceutical companies, which has allowed thousands of scientists to be employed and review times cut by more than half.[1][3] The program is part of changes, including shortening the standard to one clinical trial and new pathways for drugs tested on a small group of patients.[2]