I received an alarming letter today from my Pharmacist, seems recent batches (going back a long time) of my widely used blood pressure medication (which I have been taking for about 7 years now), has an impurity which is a carcinogenic, wow. Ok not by intention, it was an accident, but it seems this little gem was introduced by the CHINESE factory producing the medication. Who are, just in case you’re interested “Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Ltd”
Its one thing to be disappointed, let down and disgusted with cheap Chinese knock offs and low-quality consumer products like toasters, microwaves (and practically everything else you see in every store everywhere). But now this casual approach the Chinese have to quality, lack of regulations and low standards is also present in food products from china (we all know about the Baby Formula with Arsenic in it) and now it seems also pharmaceuticals. This shit can kill us.
I was told in the letter the mediation was being recalled, and I was to take it back to the pharmacist, they would exchange it or refund my money. Ok, so I can take back the bottle I have now half finished and get my co-pay back, but what about all the pills I have consumed? Not really worried about the money but, cancer…
The Pharmacist casually said, “oh yes this is from the Chinese factory, no problem here is the refund” like this is common knowledge or expected. Fortunately, my doctor had already prescribed a replacement (different mediation), but the Pharmacist told me the medication I was taking was ok to keep taking as long as it came from the European or American factories. I double checked or asked them to check the manufacturer of this new mediation and they confirmed they get it domestically from a trusted western manufacturer.
My problem here is as follows:
- Why the hell is my pharmacist sourcing prescription drugs from China? Assuming that is they have a choice of who to buy from. I am not sure how this all works, whether they know where they come from or they order from their wholesale supplier and they just fill the order with whatever they have on hand and given the shit from China probably costs a lot less they have barrels full of these pills.
- How does the FDA let companies import drugs into the USA which can be contaminated? Is not like this just happened, seems like this has been like this for years.
- Does not Big Pharma make enough money that they need to outsource manufacturing to a third world country?
- They should me forced to put where the drugs were made on the label on the prescription bottle, we have no idea where the pills come from they all look the same. Pharmaceuticals should eb forced to wear the badge of shame “Made In China” like everything else
Big pharma has to make its profits and I am sure to manufacture here the costs are very high, because we have strict standards, regulations and FDA rules. These are only partly enforced overseas (if at all) I can picture a Chinese woman in a barn mixing up a batch of chemicals in a big pot with one hand while milking her goat with the other, insects and small rodents falling into the mix. There are no inspector’s, no standards no rules, no quality control. This shit gets neatly packaged and sent over here and we are all none the wiser.
So my advise to you all is when you collect your medications ask your pharmacist where your drugs were made.
Me, well if I do develop cancer now (I hope not) my family will have a nice source of income as they can sue the ass off this Pharmaceutical company.
Rudge