The cost of prescription drugs has been increasing incrementally over the past few years. An increasing number of individuals seeking less expensive alternatives to domestically manufactured drugs have turned to foreign-produced ones as a result.
The problem with the overseas production of these drugs is that not all manufacturers are created equal. Purchasing prescription drugs overseas may increase the potential for hidden dangers.
How common is it for prescription drugs to be manufactured abroad?
Today, roughly 90% of prescription drugs in the United States are generic. The vast majority of those drugs are manufactured overseas, mostly in China and India.
Why has potential contamination become an issue in recent years?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations can be costly and tedious. Manufacturers often find themselves facing a lot of red tape and expense in getting drugs to the market here in the U.S. This leads some manufacturers to try and usurp the guidelines to save time and money.
Why do regulators have a hard time curbing potential contamination?
While FDA inspectors have the ability to randomly show up to domestic manufacturing plants unannounced, they often have to give those facilities operating overseas a few weeks’ or months’ notice of their arrival. Manufacturers can ensure that their plants appear to be in compliance because of the leeway they get.
A lot of issues can potentially fall through the cracks at international manufacturing plants due to:
- The use of contaminated water
- Pretesting of samples
- Alteration of data
- Forged results
- Multiple labs in operation by one manufacturer
- Intentional crashing or corruption of software.
- The purging of undesired data results.
- Holding investigators back from their jobs
Patients offer injuries or experience a worsening of their health condition after receiving contaminated medications. Fortunately, most jurisdictions’ laws allow you to recover compensation from negligent drug manufacturers when they produce defective products. Proving negligence in a product liability claim isn’t always easy. An attorney can show you how to get started.