Shocking condition of the world imports for medicine: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/wo...in&oref=slogin

Billye

This is very upsetting,we had a wonderfull house cat we loved very
much. He got out and a neighbor would put out antifreeze to kill
wild cats. Our cat suffered,before i got him to a vet,it was heartbreaking
we had to have him put asleep. And now this.

The part about ther Children,just so sad but realy a lesson. But i'm vey
glad you posted this. I read it 2 times,wasn't sure,but i am. Sue

and incredibly sad since the "company" manufacturing the alleged glycerin was not licensed to make "pharmaceutical grade" materials. The Panamanian tragedy may not be the end of the story since it will take some time to unearth the shipping histories and relabelling of the material but then too the pet food story is probably far from over since a second compound, cyanuric acid, a swimming pool disintectant, has been found and now linked w/ melamine to the increasing numbers of pet deaths worldwide. You don't have to have a pet to appreciate the anguish this has and will cause.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/...od.1-48203.php

All in all these types of incidents will probably become more common in the future.
Thanks for the poignant and timely reminder Billye,

Alkymst

This is the most shocking thing I have ever read about. Is this cough syrup product here in the USA????

I gather that if we go into those ninety nine cents stores and we purchase a cheap brand of cough syrup that has a chinese label, we have to look if it say TD on it right?

You know something??? I often go into the 99 cents store. There are so many around here. I noticed that the dish wash liquid, well, even if it says "JOY". It's not the same as the "JOY" that I buy in the supermarket.

So thankfully, I've never purchased cough syrup in any other place but my local drug store. And after reading this article, I don't think I'll ever take cough syrup again.

I mean, how are we supposed to know what is safe and what is NOT safe???


Jeez.
Melody

Melody,
Fortunately, the likelyhood of such a tragedy as this happening in the US now is VERY REMOTE owing to the stringent pharmaceutical manufacturing processes that govern both generic and ethical drug makers here in the US. It's what is called cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Process) and together with the efforts of the FDA it ensures the integrity of the ingredients in a drug or generic including the API itself (active pharmaceutical ingredient), the excipients, the binders, and anything else in the product. There are numerous checks and balances throughout the process that ensure the identity and purity of every ingredient whether they are manufactured in the US or obtained from outside the country.

If a domestic or foreign supplier was identifed as a participant in a scheme like the Chinese company, then their ability to do business w/ the US generic and ethical drug companies is ZERO.

I don't think you need to worry about generics or ethical drugs made in the US but an area always for some concern is homeopathic or herbal meds since there are no formal controls on these suppliers and manufacturers as far as I know. Domestic suppliers are probably just fine but foreign suppliers could pose a problem depending upon the country of origin - not necessarily a danger of severe illness or death.

Don't stop taking your cough syrup - hope this helps to ease your concerns a bit - if not I'll try to explain better.

Alkymst

Is this the same FDA that allows new drugs to be placed on the market, then pulled after people get sick or start dying??? Then it is, "oops."

Is this also the same FDA that recently allowed the return of silicone implants to the market??? Meanwhile, some 400,000 of us, who reported problems with our implants, wait for someone to come along and see exactly why we are all sick... Of course, that isn't going to happen... But now, remember, the FDA insists these new ones are safe...

And while I am thinking about it, what about the people who are getting sick from statin drugs... Forget about those??? And the osteoporosis (bisphophates) drugs reported to cause jaw necrosis???

And you trust the FDA to watch out for U.S. consumers? Get real!!! The FDA approved label used to be considered the "gold seal of approval." That seems like ancient history now...

Couple some of the above with physicians who won't speak out about problems, or worse, suffer from the "good old boy syndrome," you know, the one where they won't speak out against another...

Cathie

Alkymst,

You sound like you work for the pharmaceuticals. There are many drugs that have been recalled because they kill. There are also many other drugs that have serious side effects. I really haven't read any problems with herbal medicines or supplements.

Many food products have been recalled because of impurities and harmful ingredients.