# Watch: Where Do Our Generic Drugs Come From? We Dug to Find Out.

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/watch-where-do-our-generic-drugs-come-from-we-dug-to-find-out/
- Published: 2026-11-09T15:55:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T16:57:00+00:00
- Original publisher: ProPublica (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.propublica.org/article/generic-prescription-drug-supply-fda-explained
- Topics: Health, Medicine, Politics

## Key points

- Patients often cannot see where generic medicines are made.
- India produces about half of US generics.
- Rx Inspector links some drugs to factory and FDA records.

## Summary

ProPublica’s investigation examined where generic prescription drugs are made and how the US Food and Drug Administration oversees overseas factories. It found that patients often cannot tell where their medicines were manufactured or whether inspectors documented problems there, raising questions about transparency and oversight.

The investigation lasted 14 months and included interviews with current and former inspectors, laboratory testing and a lawsuit for government documents. India makes about half of the generic drugs used in the US, while FDA reports can conceal the names of medicines produced at factories with reported issues. ProPublica’s Rx Inspector tool links some drugs to manufacturing facilities and available FDA records, though its data may be incomplete; patients are advised to consult a healthcare provider rather than stop taking a medicine.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.