PBS News Hour - Segments Investigation raises concerns about lack of FDA quality testing for generic drugs
Jan 11, 2026
Investigative reporter Debbie Cenziper from ProPublica delves into the critical issue of FDA quality testing for generic drugs, revealing alarming gaps in routine inspections. She discusses the widespread reliance on generics, which may not always meet the quality promised by the FDA. Doctors and patients alike voice concerns over variations in effectiveness. Cenziper also introduces the Rx Inspector tool, empowering consumers to check drug manufacturing records and promoting informed decisions about their medications.
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FDA Lacks Routine Testing For Generics
- ProPublica found the FDA rarely conducts routine quality tests on generic drugs, many made overseas.
- That gap means regulators may miss drugs that don't dissolve properly or have other quality issues.
Multiple Professionals Raised Quality Concerns
- Doctors, pharmacists, researchers and even the Department of Defense have raised concerns about generic drug quality.
- ProPublica's tests showed some widely used generics failed to dissolve properly in the body.
Risk-Based Testing May Miss Troubled Factories
- The FDA says testing small samples at a single time may not reveal broader trends.
- Yet selective, risk-based testing has left troubled overseas factories under-tested, ProPublica found.