The FDA will create the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality to better control quality of branded, generic and over-the-counter drugs in the US. The agency and the pharmaceutical industry are determining which of the data currently acquired from inspections can be collected on an ongoing basis to identify drug plants departing from established standards and needing inspection. Recently, drug sales from some Indian plants were banned due to poor drug quality. Collecting data more frequently will help prevent further such incidents by identifying concerns earlier. The FDA has increased inspections of generic-drug plants abroad due to new funds from manufacturers of such drugs. Alternatively, it can solicit records from those manufacturers.

Source: Bloomberg