The consequences to their actions are that when a doctor prescribes me a medication or when I purchase one off the shelf, I have incredibly high confidence that if I follow the dosage instructions it is safe - safe now, safe in 15 years, not worth further thought on my part. That hasn't been true in most places for most of human history.
The consequences to their actions are that millions of people are saved from the consequences of consuming seemingly promising drugs such as Thalidomide: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide
I could sleep just fine knowing that some people looking only at a tiny local example while ignoring the big picture considered me the villain
To the extent that is true, I agree, they should see the positive impact of what they do as well. Your blind faith in the regulatory regime, however, is deeply undeserved. Many approved drugs prove to be dangerous and we can reasonably expect that many effective drugs never make it to market because of bureaucracy.
The consequences to their actions are that millions of people are saved from the consequences of consuming seemingly promising drugs such as Thalidomide: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide
I could sleep just fine knowing that some people looking only at a tiny local example while ignoring the big picture considered me the villain