364: Bottle of Lies - Generic Drug Dangers with Katherine Eban

Did you know that 80 percent of generic drugs are manufactured in India or China, thousands of miles from the US FDA inspectors? When it comes to oversight, manufacturing safety, and transparency, it’s a huge problem when Big Brother is on the other side of the planet. Generic drugs offer consumers huge cost savings, but is safety and regulation the price we have to pay in order to afford our medicines? On this week’s show, you’ll meet an investigative journalist who uncovered the real problems with the generic medicine market.

Listen & Learn:

• Why you should be most concerned about medicines you take regularly
• How carcinogens, toxins, and even bacterial/viral infections are a real risk in manufacturing
• Why ‘surprise visits’ are impossible for non-US-based manufacturing facilities
• Why ‘first-to-file’ incentives encourage companies to cut corners
• How the Indian concept of Jugaad might be at odds with safety

Links & Resources:

• Katherine’s Site
  

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Katherine Eban is an investigative journalist and author. Her articles have won international attention and numerous awards appearing in Fortune, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Self, The Nation, and The New York Observer. Her work has been featured on 60 Minutes, Nightline, and NPR. She is the author of Dangerous Doses and a new book, Bottle of Lies.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Raw Honey

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