The process of bringing drug therapies to market is a long one. For those drugs that are approved, they often provide a valuable tool for physicians to combat diseases of public health importance.
Beyond the R&D, clinical trials and FDA review, there is another process which is DEA scheduling. This process can take nearly a year for the DEA to look at the FDA's drug scheduling recommendation and make a determination whether they agree with the FDA. This process is too long and denies access to drugs for patients that need them.
One such drug, Belviq, is a safe and effective obesity drug that was approved by the FDA in June of 2012. This drug would help in the fight against the largest public health issue facing the world. After 9 months, the DEA has not yet scheduled this drug.