Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are manufactured and sold under guidelines issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Current FDA regulations make AEDs, like many drugs, available only to those with a physician's prescription. Simply finding a physician willing to write the necessary prescription, however, is not enough; in order for an AED or Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program to be safe and effective, the program needs constant oversight by a medical director.