This post is more like a book review than an original article. I read China Rx: Exposing The Risks of America’s Dependence on China for Medicine by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh. It is a worrying read about the state of medications in the U.S. and worldwide. The book is well researched and has 67 pages of reference.
If you know anybody on antihypertensives, cardiac medications, diabetic medicines including insulin, or cholesterol-lowering drugs, even nutritional supplements and vitamins, read on.
Highlights from ChinaRx
- The book opened with several patients including a doctor who had a severe reaction to heparin and eventually died.
- Diethylene glycol, a poisonous antifreeze have been found in tubes of toothpaste that were made in China.
- Melamine, a substance used to make furniture, glue, and plastics have been added to pet foods and infant formulas before to increase the protein content artificially and increase the price.
- The FDA does not have the authority to enforce the US standards of drug manufacturing in China.
- The FDA inspects drug companies in the US every two years. However, in China, the FDA cannot have unannounced inspections. The FDA has to give advance notice weeks in advance.
- All medications including the active ingredients for sale in the U.S. are made in China. The drugs may be assembled and manufactured in the US so it will say “Proudly Made in the U.S.A.,” but the active ingredients are still from China.
- “China was the perfect place to buy active ingredients because of its surfeit of chemist, cheap labor and virtually nonexistent safety and environmental regulations.” (page 56)
- There not enough FDA inspectors or agents to inspect more than three hundred ports in the U.S. where medications enter.
- Even the U.S. military gets its medications from China. What happens if a war breaks out?
- A quote from a former associate commissioner at the FDA, “Do you think your pacemaker, heart valve…or morning vitamin was inspected? Dream on.” (page 60)
- China can spend millions on lobbying the US Congress.
There is more in the book like how this happened and who is responsible for it including what to do to remedy the situation. ChinaRx highly recommended.
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