Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Pharmaceuticals

FDA Urged To Enforce Country­-Of-Origin Drug Labels

by Britt E. Erickson
March 16, 2015 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 93, Issue 11

A nonprofit organization that promotes products manufactured in the U.S. is urging the Food & Drug Administration to enforce a law requiring pharmacies to label each prescription drug with its country of origin. The group, Made in the USA Foundation, is concerned about the rise in counterfeit and contaminated drugs being imported into the U.S. from developing countries, such as China and India. Consumers can’t protect themselves from these risky products if retailers fail to label the country of origin of prescription drugs, the foundation contends. FDA considers the country of origin the place where a product is manufactured, regardless of where the product’s ingredients are from. Pharmaceutical manufacturers purchase active ingredients from multiple sources in different countries, and they switch suppliers regularly. So even if the country of origin is included on a drug label, it is still difficult to know where all of the ingredients in a medication originated. Approximately 40% of the prescription drugs sold in the U.S. are manufactured overseas, and 80% of the active ingredients used to make drugs in the U.S. are produced in other countries, according to FDA.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.