Yikes... What Was That?

As I grow older, my usage of various meds continues to rise. The rainy springs here in Dallas have caused my allergies to blossom. A lot of foods I used to enjoy now causes heartburn. Aches and pains pop up more and more often.

There are numerous products on the market designed to help with all of that. But, as you may well realize, medications manufactured in the United States are often prohibitively expensive.  Enter the generics, much much cheaper, usually manufactured overseas, typically China or India.

I have made a habit of buying the generics under the faulty assumption that their safety, quality, reliability and effectiveness is under close watch by the FDA.

Ha.

The Acetaminophen I've been using for aches and pains has turned out to be the problem with my liver, so I have returned to plain old Aspirin and the liver situation vanished. The brand of Acetaminophen I was using is a major brand name American made product, but not often mentioned is the fact that it has killed a bunch of people, mainly by messing up the liver.

Back to generics.

Typical American pill packing line. clean, well lit,  stainless

 steel everywhere, no human hands involved.

Typical Indian pill packing line. not even wearing gloves.

Jeez. Makes you  wonder about her personal hygiene habits.

Here you go... your pills being manufactured. at least this 

person is wearing gloves.

The FDA  is supposed to be monitoring all these "cottage factories" in India and China, but the ugly truth is they don't have nearly enough money and manpower to do the job properly. Not even close.

We need to demand that the labeling on our drugs tells us where the drugs are manufactured and that the FDA has inspected their operation - sometime THIS YEAR - and found it sanitary, sterile, clean, and that they are using inspected and approved ingredients.

Instead of tossing our taxpayer dollars down the bottomless rabbitholes of foreign Gimmedats, let's give the FDA enough money to do their job. Maybe even bring back our pill makers to the U.S.

After all, it is our health at stake here.

Oh yes... the headline: Yikes... What Was That?

I went to get a generic antacid pill this morning and something other than a pill dropped out of the nice, modern looking, supposedly sanitary plastic bottle with safety cap - a sizable blob of something definitely not associated with the pills.  

Color me suspicious... and no longer a buyer of that product.