Dangers of drugs “made in India” come under FDA scrutiny

Even though you and I aren’t allowed to buy drugs from other countries, where do you suppose the head of the FDA went last week to check on some of the ones we buy here?

Why, India, of course!

And, according to The New York Times, Dr. Margaret Hamburg was not at all happy with what she saw.

Especially since India produces 40 percent of the generic and over-the-counter drugs sold in the U.S.

That doesn’t mean all of the drugs made there are suspect. But what Dr. Hamburg calls “the recent lapses in quality at a handful of pharmaceutical firms” is what has FDA inspectors worried.

Their concerns include safety lapses, falsified test results and — yes — fake products. One common antibiotic, for instance, was found to have “no active ingredient.”

One of the country’s biggest drug makers has already paid a $500 million fine. Among its violations were flies ‘too numerous to count” in critical areas.

Pharma drugs are dangerous enough when they are made properly under crystal clean conditions. This is just one more reason to steer clear of anything that comes with an Rx.

Sources:
“Medicines made in India set off safety worries” Gardiner Harris, February 14, 2014, The New York Times, nytimes.com