Faking of Product Test Results in the Making of Drugs

When I prescribe a drug, I expect it to do its job with no increased risk of side-effects in the time typically expected for that drug to take action.

An article in the Wall Street Journal on January 28, 2014, by H. Kachi indicated that Ranbaxy, LTD., a drug plant, was accused of repetitiously fudging test results to make it appear that raw materials in active pharmaceutical ingredients met required standards. Apparently, they weren’t actually meeting the standards according to the FDA.

Thus, the FDA has banned the use of drug ingredients from the Ranbaxy’s Toansa, India, plant. This is apparently at least the second time- the first in January 2012- that Ranbaxy was at odds with the U.S. Justice Dept.

Is it Time to Consider the Shortcomings of International Outsourcing?

This highlights the problem we have in assuring good quality, safe medications that will do their job safely functioning as expected let alone food products that might be handled in the same fashion. It also brings to light the questionable value of offshore outsourcing to keep costs down/increase profit when the quality and integrity of a product is so important.

I was victimized by a whole Dell computer network with a faulty motherboard a little over five years ago when the boards contained cheap counterfeit circuitry that was initially unnoticed by the ultimate equipment manufacturer, thus we need to look beyond simple profit when considering the shortcomings of international outsourcing.