FDA Oversight Abroad

Like many products consumed in the United States, many drugs are developed and manufactured outside of our country’s borders. A New York Times article from August of last year reports that more than 80% of active ingredients for drugs sold here are made elsewhere¹. In a recent House hearing, FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg stated that the FDA needs more resources in order to properly oversee the development and manufacturing of these types of products abroad. Modern Healthcare published an article describing these concerns the FDA has in regards to oversight of foreign-made drugs. Other issues such as drug shortages and pedigree are also mentioned.

FDA Deputy Commissioner for Global Regulatory Operations and Policy Deborah Autor is also mentioned in the article and states that action from Congress may be required to implement a national pedigree for drugs, which would track products from the manufacturer to the final buyer to ensure the integrity of the supply chain. Many states already have pedigree laws in effect, so the interaction of a federal clause and existing state statutes is something to be considered.  This type of action from the Food and Drug Administration and Congress could also have great effects on those companies that do produce drugs overseas. It may or may not cause them to need to make some changes to their supply chains, which could in turn raise the cost to produce a given drug.

These problems discussed in the article and at the hearing bring up an interesting dilemma. It seems a fairly universally agreed upon concept that the FDA should have the capacity to oversee the manufacturing of the drugs that are sold here in the United States, regardless of where they are made. However, would actions to give the FDA the resources it needs to increase supervision abroad make it more difficult for drug companies to produce their products at the same rate and for the same price? Which is more important: allocating resources to ensure drugs are being produced at the proper quality, or making sure there is enough of a given drug to provide for the need that is present? Drug shortages have been an ongoing issue of late, which could continue to worsen if certain drug manufacturing supply chains are interfered with.

The safety of both prescription and non-prescription drugs is key, that is unquestionable. But will the FDA really ever be able to keep track of the quality of every drug produced outside of the United States? Before taking any action, both the FDA and Congress should consider the potential benefits of higher levels of oversight versus what complications may arise from it.

Written by: Jamie Notaro

Edited by: Ken Chiang

 

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¹ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/13/science/13drug.html?pagewanted=all

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