FDA Faces Setbacks in Restoring Pre-Pandemic Drug Safety Inspections

Federal regulators tasked with ensuring the US drug supply's safety are still recovering from the disruptive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. An AP analysis reveals that around 2,000 US pharmaceutical plants have not been inspected for safety since pre-pandemic times, raising contamination risks in critical medicines. The issue is exacerbated by staff shortages and a backlog of inspections, especially in foreign facilities.

The FDA is grappling with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, struggling to catch up on pharmaceutical plant inspections that were halted or delayed during the crisis.

An AP analysis indicates that nearly 2,000 US drug manufacturing sites have avoided surveillance inspections since before the pandemic, raising contamination and quality concerns.

Meanwhile, staff shortages and a significant backlog of overdue inspections pose ongoing challenges for the agency as it works to safeguard critical medicines.

(With inputs from agencies.)