If you use prescription drugs, you’ve seen the costs getting higher and higher. Generic brands can seem like a welcome relief due to their cheaper cost. But you may be sacrificing quality for price
Generic drugs can cost much less than their name-brand counterparts. Companies that produce generic drugs must follow the same Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines as name-brand companies. But an investigation has found that some generic drug manufacturers may try to avoid FDA regulations to save money.
Companies prepared for inspection
Many companies selling generic drugs set up plants in countries like India and China. These countries provide cheap labor and supplies.
But when the FDA inspects these plants, they often announce their arrival well ahead of time. Investigations have found that some plants used that time to prepare the plant for inspection. The workers at these plants falsified documents and destroyed data to seem compliant to inspectors.
Some managers of the plants even grew hostile with inspectors. Investigators found some stories about plant managers making inspectors sick with tainted water. Another plant manager refused to believe they were FDA inspectors and called the police on them. Inspectors later found these plants to be out of compliance with FDA regulations.
FDA warning letters
If you take a daily generic drug and have been experiencing unexpected side effects, you may want to research the company that made the drug. The FDA posts warning letters online. If the company that makes your drug has received warnings, you may want to consult an attorney.
Most people in the United States choose generic drugs over name-brand. Generic drugs promise to have the same effect at a reduced price. But some companies may cut corners on safety to make a cheaper product.
