It's NOT just the pet food, folks

The fact that generic drugs work seldom and poorly - if at all - for me has often been dismissed by MDs and pharmacists. Fortunately, I have known a few who agree to write me the 'exception' required by my insurance co. to allow me to pay for the REAL brand-name drug. I have known that most generics these days come from abroad.
It's even worse than I thought, if that's possible. It was in The Washington Post just this past weekend. It ain't just supplements and pet food, people. . .
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061601295_pf.html
(if you asre asked for registered name and password, use Fred and then Fred - yes, it works )
In part:
"Analysts estimate that as much as 20 percent of finished generic and over-the-counter drugs, and more than 40 percent of the active ingredients for pills made here, come from India and China. Within 15 years, they predict, as much as 80 percent of the key ingredients will come from those countries -- which are quickly becoming attractive to brand-name drugmakers, too.

William Hubbard, a former FDA associate commissioner, called the situation dire and deteriorating.

"You have this confluence of events, with so much more product coming from abroad and fewer and fewer inspections," Hubbard said. "This is very serious stuff..."

Your bottle may say "MADE IN THE USA" but it is likely manufactured from imported ingredients. Gee, I wonder where my adriamycin and cytoxan (which have been out-of-patent for years) really come from. It is frightening and it simply makes me angry. I know a guy who owns a chemistry business that supplies many raw materials for Merck. He gets more harrassment and has more regs. and requirements from the FDA than you would believe. But the "same" ingredient can be shipped in from China with NO oversight.

Lisa