Posted on 03/23/2008 11:02:28 AM PDT by Chickensoup
The CVS pharmacy changed my metformin meds and the company name was on the bottle (extremely small letters). Googled and found out the pills are manufactured in Puerto Rico. I switch to glucophage (which works better for me in any case), which is 2 to 3 times more expensive.
inspected plants approved by the FDA
That means in plants with great quality control and without anyone in the plant who is an active American-hater, right?
This is an issue that crossed the aisle. Leftists are as concerned as anyone.
“Googled and found out the pills are manufactured in Puerto Rico.”
I wouldn’t be concerned about drugs made in PR. Most all US drug producers have some production there. There are special tax incentives for companies to produce there, and it often pops up as a campaign issue that it is unfair competition to mainland production. But the NY senators and representatives are strong defenders of the tax breaks because of the large Puerto Rican population in NY.
Lots of politics involved, but the Puerto Ricans are US citizens and PR is a US possession. Drugs produced there are probably as safe as any.
I did google american vits, lots of hits, very few products. Most of the hits are references about a specific vit and the American Medical Associations take on the substance.
About the best we can do in today’s realities is purchase supplements made in the USA (encapsulated, mixed, bottled, etc) though many of the ingredients might be imported. That way we are relying on an American firm for quality control.
But, many of the best ingredients are from overseas (not China) and were often developed there. The best (and maybe only) CoQ10 is from Japan. Some herbs are grown only in foreign countries. Europe and Japan should be high quality. It’s these start-ups like China and others that are at times a problem.
But, many of the best ingredients are from overseas (not China) and were often developed there. The best (and maybe only) CoQ10 is from Japan. Some herbs are grown only in foreign countries. Europe and Japan should be high quality. It’s these start-ups like China and others that are at times a problem.
That is why I want the information. To be able to choose what I put in my body from what country.
This looks like a good article on the politics involved with COOL laws. I scanned part of it, and old Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was all for seafood labeling because it would help Alaskan seafood industries, lol. But he’s probably not one who disagrees with business very often (since most seafood sellers probably opposed such laws).
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/02/business/02label.html
That’s from July, 2007. This issue became hot again last summer during all the problems with Chinese imports, but I don’t know if any action was ever taken.
"At the moment, consumers have no way of knowing where their drugs are produced or assembled, because there are no requirements for country-of-origin labeling of drugs."
The US Pharmacopeia (USP) (www.USP.org) sets the standards for the purity and properties of drug ingredients. In theory, one lot of "Ibuprofen USP" is the same as any other, which is why you can have multiple lot numbers of drug used in a single batch.
Even if the products were labeled as you request, it would be one of those "may contain products from one or more of the following countires....", followed by a list of 20 countries. Kind of like the "Made in America" Chevys that list parts conntent from 10 foreign countires....
From the NYT article I linked above. “He (Senator Stevens) went to bat for Alaska fishermen, who benefited from a provision in the law that fish and shellfish include not only country of origin but whether it was farm-raised or caught in the wild.”
That’s a great help to consumers. Many people are eating salmon because of the now widely accepted heart health benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids contained in WILD salmon. But the farm raised salmon (just like cattle, fed a grain diet) do not contain such healthy level of Omega-3s as opposed to the Omega-6 content.
Senator Stevens did the Alaska seafood industry and consumers a good service with that legislation.
Virtually all the major pharma makers do business in PR because of the tax break that gives them a huge cost savings if at least a certain percentage of the manufacturing process occurs in PR. One of our products used to be shipped back and forth to PR twice via air freight during the manufacturing process. Must have been a heck of a tax break to offset that cost.
Because the labor costs were so much lower, they literally had an army of people going around on cleaning detail. I saw them cleaning the edges of doors (the back edges where the hinges are) leading into the production areas. Now that is attention to detail.
Puerto Rico is part of the United States.
Yes, I know it is part of the U.S., but there was bit dust up recently about some drugs from PR being tainted. I’ll try and find the article.
IMO, related to this story is that most physicians have become nothing more than “pill pushers” who are wined and dined by drug companies. A visit to the doctor these days results in three or four prescriptions in your hand when you leave regardless of what you went in for.
After taking four blood pressure medications that all had terrible side effects, I’m looking for a natural remedy to lower BP. Any ideas anyone?
I’m very interested also.
I avoid any Mainland Chinese foodstuff. I know I am eating some inadvertently, wheat gluten comes to mind but I go out of my way to avoid any I know about.
Esp. Fish.
I just tossed a Honduran cantaloupe this morning because of a salmonella scare.
When will we wake up??
The only thing I can add is I know Vytorin is made in Singapore. Says so on the label.
No, “inspected plants approved by the FDA” means they have a complete file of the federal forms needed to become an approved plants. That is what the term “inspected” applies to and that they paid the required fees on time. Therefore they are “approved”.
Great link
I do understand. But drugs combined and put together by countries with good quality control will not use lousy ingredients.
I do understand. But drugs combined and put together by countries with good quality control will not use lousy ingredients.
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