Saturday November 1, 2008, 6:34 am
Folks, this is a long article that is SO worth reading every bit of. It tells of how the FDA is finally going to set up an inspection headquarters in Beijing - doesn't THAT make you feel safe? It quotes medical and safety experts on the hopeless incompetence and unreliability of the current Food & Drug Administration. And there's plenty more.

If the article doesn't tire you out, there's more here on toxic cough syrup that has killed people around the world. Chinese factories made most of this stuff - some in places not licensed to manufacture pharmaceuticals.

This is the shame of Big Pharma - they make record-breaking profits already, and now they're going to outsource their production to China, where factory workers make a pittance in wages, where corruption in industry is rampant, where safety standards are frequently deplorable (and uninspected drug factories are springing up like toadstools after a good rain) so they can make even MORE profits. And who is and will continue to pay the price? WE will - people around the world will.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 6:36 am
Here is the report on toxic cough syrup: From China to Panama, a Trail of Poisoned Medicine This is not my America. This is not my planet.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 7:14 am
If the FDA does not stop this, they could at least pass out some antidote to us!!!


Signature:
http://tinyurl.com/3fs5m8

Saturday November 1, 2008, 7:27 am
OK I read half of it and will finish reading after I comment because I was muttering darkly before I finished the half Why? because here in America they are trying to take away our rights as citizens to use any herbs or holistic ways of returning to health-we cannot say that a herb will treat anything that they consider a disease and now because China practically owns America they do not inspect the places that make generic medicines which are used mainly by the poor !!!!
I am muttering more darkly by the second here

Saturday November 1, 2008, 7:32 am
Another in a myriad of reason why I will not use pharmaceutical drugs. I will stick to my natural medicines.

Personally, just my opinion, I think any corporation or business that outsources or otherwise moves their operations outside of the US should loose their citizenship--wouldn't that be a deterrant. Or tax them at double the current rate on shipping this poison back into the states. I am so sick of our corporations getting away with this crap and taking our jobs away. I am sick of them getting tax breaks and HIDING their profits in offshore banks! Something needs to be done about it.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 8:09 am
Cate, thanks. This is definite an article everyone should read. Faith, you're right with your statement..'what right do they have to take away our rights to use herbs or holistic ways' Our bodies like our minds react differently, and if you find that St John's wart doesn't help than try something else...Hmm seems to me this is what doctors do if one prescription med doesn't work ..try another.Bottom line..Up(yours)John, and Why-Wyeth(cuz we can) and the rest want control over where profits are going.We can grow alot of our own herbs and cut them out.
Terrie ..thank you..I think we all know why stock market is in the crapper! yah Americans are to dang lazy to get get off their backsides and just move overseas and get a job..quit your whining...can just hear that line being used in our double dippin businesses that want big profits, low wages,but the protection when they get a boo-boo.Sure move FDA overseas, and with the lack of accountability we've seen come out of overseas products an overseas based FDA would fall under that countries standards,and give a stamp of approvalunder that countries laws.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 8:16 am
Wonder how much our Fearless Leaders will make off this deal? What America?? There is little 'industry' left in this country. When Dubya told us 'outsourcing will be good for us', what he meant was 'outsourcing will be REAL good for me, my backers and henchmen'. The Cheney Cabal has sold us to China, North Korea and Russia. There is not much left to work with to try to restore things to 8 yrs ago. The GOP plan to destroy the country by selling it off has worked well.....and will continue right up to Jan 20th.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 9:00 am
When is our government going to wake up and quit dealing with China. Probably never. I will continue to boyctt them.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 9:02 am
Noted, thanks Cate

Saturday November 1, 2008, 9:09 am
Faith, Terrie, Laurie, Melva, all you ladies are on it with valid points! Ombretta, you were right about reading every word...worth the time and actually pinpoints how the FDA is failing us so badly. Since there's plenty of money to go around (ask AIG), how about funding for agencies that mean a healthy public?? Let some of the banks fail, merge, bankrupt because that is normal business. To say that federal agencies are understaffed due to money concerns IS A CROCK. I'll let each person guess what the crock contains...Thanks, Ombretta. What would we do without you?

Saturday November 1, 2008, 9:35 am
OMFG, we're all doomed.
I have nothing else to say.
Thanks, Cate.
noted.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 9:39 am
This is long overdo and hopefully will save alot of lives - finally the FDA is doing something right but there are many Many MORE M I L E S to go ...
I am grateful for these "baby steps" ! Now if only the FDA would ban the toxins in plastic such as baby bottles! Has anyone noticed how the PLASTIC INDUSTRY RULES lately? Recycle yes just redistributing toxins to other products... can we afford that? Speaking of affordability to those who have suffered due to the economy my heart and prayers are with you all. IT IS TIME TO VOTE FOR CHANGE ... OBAMA! GO VOTE! BETTER DAYS AHEAD! THANKS & BE WELL :-)

Saturday November 1, 2008, 9:40 am
Thank you Ombretta LittleShadow my dear heart and fellow Crone !

Saturday November 1, 2008, 9:53 am
It could well be that in a not too distant future, anything manufactured in China that had standards would be as safe or safer than what is made in the US. That time is not here yet. I have no doubt the coroporations want to make safe and reliable products. Ditto the upper levels of Chinese Government and Manufacturing, but it is a huge country with extremely thin profit margins and a largely untrained workforce that is demanding higher salaries every year. There is a culture of corruption on the local level that will take generations or a cultural revolution to eradicate. In addition a small presence of USDA testing in China would not be up to the job. This is a terrible thing for the U.S. consumer who may have little choice in choosing where the medications originate. Please guarantee the quality of our pharmaceutics.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 10:06 am
China has no qualms about experimenting on animals. This will be a horror for animals there.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 10:33 am
Tim, we are only doomed if we stand idly by and let our 'wonderful' government make our personal decisions for us. I refuse to do so. We can, as individuals, make determinations for ourselves in many ways that will, if most of us band together, make a decided difference in our futures! Our fates are NOT sealed! There IS hope! We ARE the power!

Saturday November 1, 2008, 11:38 am
FDA has been talking about setting up shop in Bejiing for at least a year . . .18 months? Do you see any activity? The only activity I see is Bush DeRegulating as fast as he can before he leaves office.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 12:06 pm
Sure I'll trust corporations (and governements) to promote my best interests first and foremost, especially when it comes to things to swallow ; /

Saturday November 1, 2008, 12:06 pm
What, manufacturing and selling generics less melamine? Can't say this makes any business sense, for starters.

What's up with China's quality of inspection, why weren't China products safe previously and what real safety changes will US operations bring?


Not making sense to me.

US/China business relationship, perhaps this is saving sales, saving money. notmuch choice given whats happened, that makes sense, stepping up quality standards responding to complaints of crappy products.

But for us, the US Consumer, inferior content is inferior content still makes bad product. What does this mean? Are we to believe there will be some kind of US standard applied to Chinese manufactured product?
Will American citizens move to China to fill these positions or will the Chinese be put in charge of our standards given a seal of approval stamping their standards on our products?

China has different operations, different setup, different suppliers, different methods, it IS ALL different, we do not know who or how this will work it is frightening to me that all this trouble is for us to go there to support their way of doing things, supporthing their factory workers jobs under this idea we are saving money??? What am I missing in this colaboration????

I'm a little sick about this news.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 12:08 pm
bush

Saturday November 1, 2008, 12:17 pm
THE FDA IS ABSOLUTELY USELESS IN EVERYTHING THEY ARE "SUPPOSE" TO BE DOING--A TOTAL WASTE OF TAX MONEY!! THE FDA INSPECTORS ARE LITERALLY "A JOKE"!!

Saturday November 1, 2008, 12:58 pm
Don't eat the pills...We're on our own. Just us.

So, what do you do here on earth Timothy?

Saturday November 1, 2008, 1:14 pm
That's why I Just Say No to Drugs.....I'd rather figure it out on my own...especially since Pharmas contain GMO rice as their base (not sure which...but who knows all the crap in there) I've seen too many people get worse (and in some cases deathly ill) once they hit the Rx pills.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 2:16 pm
Go ask Alice, as she froths from the mouth.....

Saturday November 1, 2008, 2:35 pm
You would think, if physicians REALLY cared about their patients' well-being, the AMA would rise up and protest. But hell, most doctors these days are riding safely in the deep pockets of Big Pharma.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 3:30 pm
We must stop these practices with OUR own personal Choices and responsibilities first, like we are doing, spread awareness. And of course "kill" them with our kindness. Great stuff Cate, thx.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 3:31 pm
I will be re-doubling my efforts SOON, on this issue and of course GMO'S.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 3:52 pm
Noted, thanks Cate

Saturday November 1, 2008, 4:21 pm
THEY WON'T LET US BUY OUR DRUGS FROM CANADA BECAUSE THEY SAY IT IS UNSAFE, YET THEY OUTSOURCE OUR DRUG COMPANIES TO PLACES THAT HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO POISEN US. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. GREED.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 4:53 pm
IMO: GOP greed has crossed the line and become pure evilness. I consider the Un-American Dictatorship clique running this country to be traitors. There has never been an administration so against everything the USA was founded on and has stood for. Nor has there ever been such a total effort to damage this country from inside the White House.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 5:53 pm
Ah I see our local Doctor has just become a harmful drug pusher...I survive of about twenty medications a day as a diabetic with some other conditions as well...unfortunately I am reliant on drugs and have to take them as the doctor orders...even by his thinking some of them have made some of my conditions worse...and now if the big drug firms are going to get poison from China I wonder what the popint of it all is.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 6:30 pm
Just a note to add to this. They will also be able to torture even more animals in labs for their "research" considering China's terrible records on animal issues. Bill Maher once said (it's not a perfect quote): "Well, if you see these medical commercials that say: TELL YOUR DOCTOR about this drug, doesn't it make him a dealer?"

Saturday November 1, 2008, 8:12 pm
It is disgusting what they are doing to us.
Where does all this evil come from?

Saturday November 1, 2008, 8:35 pm
It's called greed. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. You name it.

Saturday November 1, 2008, 10:05 pm
How do they get away with it?They act like they run the world!Oh they do,i forget.

Sunday November 2, 2008, 1:40 am
Signs of the greater agenda everywhere, if we step-back and look at the big picture. Those that should care.., don't care, and one should ask "why?" Sensing ones "gut feelings" will bring one closer to the answer. Thank you for posting this article, Cate.

Sunday November 2, 2008, 5:16 am
Maybe they can come up with an enzyme to help us digest melamine.

Sunday November 2, 2008, 5:38 am
CP, don't count on it. You see, getting rid of a percentage of the poor and middle-class will reduce the number of people they have to control....

Monday November 3, 2008, 8:18 pm
Oh God what is going on, Govt. is why not thinking about this?

Tuesday November 4, 2008, 11:01 am
I agree with Mike H, how many more animals are going to be tortured for greed? There are already no animal welfare laws over there, this is sickening!

Grow your own herbs, make your own medicine!

Pharma is run for the benefit of large drug companies which make fortunes out of flogging useless drugs to gullible patients. Persuading tired and ill-informed doctors (and ignorant nurses who have demanded and been given the authority to prescribe) to prescribe their wretched products is a highly profitable business.

The sole aim of the NHS is to satisfy bureaucratic targets and to provide secure, undemanding employment for large numbers of people. The NHS is the third largest employer in the world. The aim of the modern NHS is not to cure or to care for patients but to provide secure employment for a vast army of jobsworths. Gordon Brown, whose target culture has destroyed Britain's public services, has finally finished off the NHS.

Like everything, it all comes down to power and money!

Tuesday November 4, 2008, 1:15 pm
I keep reading the comments about "making your own medicine". Sadly, that isn't always possible, and the drugs you must take are not optional, so please keep that in mind.

Tuesday November 4, 2008, 2:13 pm
The problem with 'growing your own medicine, or buying herbs, is there's NO regulation of them. You never know if you are taking too little or too much. As with everything, overdoses can be fatal. And so is under-dosing for a serious condition.

Wednesday November 5, 2008, 6:14 am
We really must demand that our medications and our food be manufactured here in the US to the highest of standards.