More than likely, Ohio residents diagnosed with high blood pressure are more than aware of all of the recalls for their prescribed medications. The recalls have caused a great deal of trepidation for patients and doctors as they try to deal with the shortage of drugs that do not contain the defects that caused the recalls. Now, the Food and Drug Administration is under scrutiny regarding its policies and procedures when it comes to foreign-made drugs.
Many of the generic drugs taken by millions of Americans, including some here in Ohio, are made in countries whose standards are not as high as those in this or other countries are. The reality is that around 90% of generic drugs and 40% of the finished medications taken in the United States are not made here, along with 80% of the ingredients that go into them. The FDA is tasked with making sure that they all meet the appropriate standards.
Inspections of certain foreign facilities led to the discovery of bad practices and cost-cutting measures that could jeopardize the lives of the individuals who end up taking those drugs. Testing records and drug quality assessments left a lot to be desired. The question then becomes what the FDA should do to make sure the medications Americans take are actually safe.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the country die from properly described and taken medications each year. Some of those medications end up recalled by the Food and Drug Administration, but not before they cause harm to innocent patients. Drug manufacturers that fail to take the safety of end users seriously should be held accountable for the harm their medications cause.
