Drug-Plant Inspections Ebbed as Tainted Pills Flowed to U.S.
- GAO finds overseas drug scrutiny slid; fewer boots on ground
- Heart, stomach drugs recalled due to carcinogen contamination
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Inspections of foreign drug manufacturers by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have fallen in recent years despite increasing worry about the safety and quality of generic medications, congressional investigators said.
FDA inspections of overseas pharmaceutical manufacturers declined 10% from 2016 to 2018, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office, in part because the agency has fewer inspectors and has struggled to fill open jobs abroad. The number of domestic drug-plant inspections dropped 13%.