Auditors: FDA has long way to go on foreign inspections

[maddezmom]

Source: NYT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration is making progress in conducting more inspections of foreign drug manufacturers, but still inspects relatively few facilities.

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About $10 million was dedicated for foreign inspections in the latest fiscal year. Auditors estimate the FDA would need far more resources to inspect, every two years, each of the 3,249 foreign drug establishments listed by the agency.

''However, FDA's plans currently call for incremental increases that will have little impact in the near future to reduce the interval between inspections,'' auditors said.

The Government Accountability Office's report will be part of a hearing Tuesday by a House oversight and investigations subcommittee.

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Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, who returned Saturday from a visit to Asia, said he's been insistent with trading partners that if they want access to U.S. markets, they have to meet U.S. standards for quality and safety. At the same time, too much reliance on inspections could deter trade.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-FDA-Foreign-Inspections.html?_r=1&oref=slogin