Chinese drugs a cause for concern

The Oklahoman
By Peter Pitts
Dec 1,2007

Thirty years ago, "Made in Japan” was synonymous with "cheap.” Japanese economy cars then might not have been glamorous, but they achieved popularity as reliable and efficient vehicles available at bargain-basement prices.

Today, "Made in China” is on our radar. But such a label should raise more red flags than Japanese marks did, as some Chinese goods entering the United States aren't just cheap — they're dangerous.

As we've seen in the cases of tainted toys and toothpaste, goods bearing the mark of the Panda could end up harming, or worse, killing you.

There's another difference between yesterday's Japanese goods and today's Chinese ones. Japan is a Western-style democracy. Checks and balances on government and industry are the norm. Japan respects intellectual property and legal structures are in place to discourage the release of shoddy products.

China is a one-party state. There are no meaningful legal constraints on what the government or Chinese industry can do. Intellectual property rights are routinely violated. There are few regulatory checks to prevent tainted or unsafe products from pouring out of Chinese factories.

Poisoned pet food and children's toys laced with lead-based paint are only two examples of the perils of poorly regulated foreign imports. What will happen when counterfeit drugs begin showing up at American retailers?

We've had our first taste of this — literally. Made-in-China toothpaste became a national scare this summer. After the stuff was already in circulation, it was revealed that the dentifrice contained diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze.

Americans may not want something as critical as drugs to come from China. But that's not stopping some lawmakers from forcing them upon consumers.

Several members of Congress have introduced legislation to allow the importation of prescription drugs. Although proponents of the measure have promised that drug imports will be scrutinized and only permitted from certain countries, the reality is not so simple.

Obtaining drugs from "safe” nations like Britain or France offers little protection, because drugs move freely among the 27 European Union member states through a system of "parallel trade.” Under this system, drugs purchased from countries considered "safe” may have originated elsewhere in the E.U. — like Latvia or Malta, where it's far easier for Chinese counterfeits to enter the legitimate supply chain.

Canada is no safer. Most Canadian internet pharmacies admit to purchasing their drugs from the European Union. And some of these drugs aren't even legal in Canada. Yet the push for drug importation continues.

Until we see progress in our ability to verify the authenticity of drug imports, opening our medicine cabinets to foreign drugs will jeopardize our collective health. The technology for doing so is on the horizon, in the form of things like RFID tags. The time may soon come when "Made in China” isn't a cause for concern, but when it comes to drugs, that time is not yet here.

Pitts is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and a former FDA associate commissioner.

Poisoned pet food and children's toys laced with lead-based paint are only two examples of the perils of poorly regulated foreign imports. What will happen when counterfeit drugs begin showing up at American retailers?