Farah Stockman writes an opinion piece for The New York Times on our “sick” drug supply and why it needs an overhaul. The piece is chilling because it highlights the lack of quality monitoring in the production of prescription drugs. And, of course, pharmaceutical companies’ incentive to cut corners in the production and distribution process.
Stockman explains that the US used to manufacture many more drugs at home and had significant quality control over the ingredients in our drugs. Today, American manufacturing plants are closing down. Pharmaceutical companies are relying on factories abroad to manufacture our drugs. We have no clue where our drugs are being made or which factories are making them.
The FDA, for its part, insists that a drug is a drug and that differences among drugs that treat the same condition are not meaningful. But, Stockman argues that some manufacturing plants operate under much higher quality standards than others. And, even the distribution of a drug–does it sit out in the sun and bake for extended periods of time or is it protected?–can lead to differences in its efficacy.
Americans are left in the dark. The lowest-cost drug in a given category might be the drug we are prescribed or the drug that our health insurer covers. But, it also might not be as effective or safe as another drug that costs more. We just don’t know.
The FDA inspects drug manufacturing plants around the globe. But, during the pandemic, it inspected only three plants and was unable to inspect 1,000 on its list. What does that mean for the quality of our prescription drugs?
On top of that, the US does not produce many key ingredients used in a number of drugs. Should we rely on India or China or some other country for those ingredients? The Biden administration apparently seems OK with that reliance.
What’s clear is that the US needs to rethink its entire prescription drug policy. Drugs don’t work if we can’t afford them. They also don’t work if they are affordable but made with harmful ingredients or in a factory where they are contaminated. As it is, the FDA’s approval process for many new drugs does not indicate whether a drug is truly safe.
Here’s more from Just Care:
