FDA Cannot Promise Safety of Imported Drugs

Jenny Albano

Contributor

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According to Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and a founding member of FDA's Counterfeit Drug Task Force, it is almost impossible for the FDA to guarantee the safety of imported drugs. This is because there are so many counterfeiters from all over the world.

Pitts continues that "simply mandating safety by legislative fiat will not make imported drugs safer" and that "without fundamental regulatory reforms in the countries where counterfeits are produced, the FDA's efforts will be futile."

Pitts thinks that allowing the importation of these drugs to save consumers a few dollars is not worth the risk. He states that the government has the responsibility to protect us from danger, and allowing hazardous products into our country is just exposing us to overseas threats.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.