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CAVEAT VENDITOR, PART II

Posted by Frigglesnitz on Monday, March 10, 2008 4:44:10 PM
      You probably are by now aware of a well-known drug's latest problems.  It was reported on Fox News earlier today.
 
   Well, it seems that it has become known that 80 percent of the drug originates in China.  It's manufactured in the U.S., as I understand it, but only 20 percent of it is made of components from the U.S. or some other country.
 
   Is it difficult to understand why it is imperative that Americans demand to be informed of the origins of every component of every drug sold in the U.S., whether manufactured in the U.S. or not?
 
   Is it difficult to understand why U.S. companies manufacturing drugs anywhere in the world would purchase components of drugs from China?  The reason, of course, is that they want to save a buck or two.  Or a million.  Or a billion.  What do they care if a few people get sick from using the drugs they make?  What do they care if a few people die from using the drugs they make?  After all, they have lawyers, and they have good lawyers.  These lawyers can dream up acceptable settlements for any of the victims or victims' families brave enough to sue them. 
 
   In January the FDA or HHS (Department of Health & Human Services) entered into a "Partnership" agreement with China bearing on drug safety.  Why does anyone suppose that the FDA or HHS has any interest in entering into any kind of "Partnership" agreement with China, of all the countries in the world?  Is this designed to lull unsuspecting, unobservant and complacent Americans into a fairy-tale belief that this "Partnership" agreement with China is actually going to make U.S. drugs safer? 
 
   The drug industry has already made billions of dollars from the Medicare Prescription Drug Plans.  Billions of dollars is not enough for the drug industry.  They want more, more, more, more.  And they seem to be getting it.  Via substandard, possibly dangerous, inferior and unacceptable ingredients in drugs flooding the shelves of retail drugstores across America. 
 
   As stated in my recent blog entry on this subject, these companies should begin to fold like deck chairs. 
 
   CAVEAT VENDITOR. 
 
 
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THE FDA CAN'T BE FIXED. PERIOD.

Posted by Frigglesnitz on Thursday, February 21, 2008 9:14:41 PM

There are not enough decades left in eternity to "fix" the FDA.

The FDA is hopelessly mired in its own nest.

It is hopelessly mired in drugmakers wanting their drugs approved NOW.

The FDA is hopelessly mired in drugmakers wanting a fast track to get their drugs on the market NOW, particularly when there are unusual diseases involved.

The FDA is hopelessly mired in politicians who are mired in lobbyists who are mired in their employers (drugmakers).

It was interesting to learn some time ago that drug lobbyists have the run of Congress's hallways, bathrooms, cloakrooms, swimming pool, exercise rooms and parking lots.  Perhaps that has changed now, but it's doubtful at least to me. 

The FDA is hopelessly mired in what they call the "Partnership with China."

Now, I don't know about most people, but I have no desire to see the FDA -- which is a U.S. taxpayer-funded group -- getting in bed with Chinese manufacturers presumably so they can help the Chinese improve their oversight of drugs you, the taxpayer, may be ingesting.

Here is a news flash for drugmakers: hire your own personnel for oversight purposes.  Do not, I repeat, do not expect the American taxpayers to pick up the tab for you. 
 
Personally I am sick to the point of regurgitation with relentlessly frequent notices from the FDA advising that another drug has been taken off the market because of some silly reason such as the fact that it it may cause death or blindness or some such foolishness. 
 
Personally I am sick to the point of regurgitation with relentlessly frequent notices from CPSC that more toys, more tools, more heaters, more of just about anything, have been recalled because reasons such as an excess of lead or other frightening dangers.  By digression, where did China get so much lead? 
 
The interesting point is that the majority of these items are made in China. 
 
The reason that these items are made in China is that the manufacturing is much less expensive in China than in the United States.  The United States has such boring laws about lead content, etc., that manufacturers want to cut as many corners as possible to squeeze as many dollars out of U.S. citizens as they possibly can before they're caught. 
 
So, somebody dies.  Somebody is irreparably sickened.  They can pay the freight on lawsuits because they've already made so much money monkeying around with China. 
 
Today my husband and I looked for cans of crushed pineapple.  There were many cans of pineapple of all descriptions on the shelves.  They are still there.  It gave me great pleasure to leave them.  Why?  They were made in China or Thailand.  The cans can remain there for eternity for all I care.  Not one was made in the U.S.A. 
 
Just FYI, there is another study going on in connection with pet food made by a great many manufacturers.  The FDA can tell you all about it. 
 
Terence Jeffrey, in his column today "How many decades will it take to fix FDA?" brought on this rant of mine.  You can find that column, if you have not already read it, at the following link.  I truly appreciate Mr. Jeffrey's column. 
 
 
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