Where is my Medication Manufactured? The U.S, China, India, or Turkey?

A medication box with American flag and some pills with China and Iran 's flag

Many Americans prefer buying a U.S.-made product instead of an imported generic version. But it is difficult to determine where products are actually manufactured.

Prescription medications, and their ingredients, can come from all over the world. Unlike many other products, their countries of origin do not have to be fully disclosed and usually, they are not.

David Lazarus of the LA Times wrote an article about a person in the US asking for information about where his generic drug was manufactured.

The Patient’s Experience

The patient in Mr. Lazarus’ article was taking a generic anti-cholesterol pill. One day he got curious about where it came from. However, it didn’t say on the label.

The patient asked the pharmacist at his local pharmacy. The pharmacist looked it up and said the country of origin was India.

“That made me angry and a little disgusted,” the patient stated. “They should disclose that. I asked the pharmacist to switch me to a name-brand version made in the United States.”

Now he takes Crestor, sold by the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

What this patient may not realize, though, is that while AstraZeneca has offices and facilities here in the U.S., the active ingredient for Crestor, rosuvastatin calcium, comes from abroad.

A company spokeswoman said AstraZeneca obtains the ingredient from suppliers in Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. Meanwhile, most makers of generic alternatives to Crestor get their rosuvastatin calcium from India and China.

Why is it So Hard to Find Out Where Medications Come From?

If you go to AstraZeneca’s Crestor website, you’ll find safety information about the drug, but you won’t learn where it’s made, or where the active ingredient comes from.

One reason is because the supply chain for drugs is very complex. Active and inactive ingredients might come from dozens of suppliers in multiple countries, and each of those suppliers in turn might have facilities around the world.

That’s why the Food and Drug Administration generally defines a drug’s country of origin as the final stop in the manufacturing process — where the ingredients are combined, or the final touches are put in place.

Under FDA rules, drug companies are required to disclose only the name and business address of the manufacturer. A U.S.-based pharmaceutical plant, therefore, would not have to reveal that its active ingredients come from China.

Some drug companies probably don’t want people knowing that 80% of active ingredients — yes, 80% — come from China and India. There’s an effort to contain the cost of drugs, and that’s why these things are outsourced to other manufacturers.

70% Top 40 Brand-Name Drugs Sold in U.S. Are Imported.

New research from PharmacyChecker.com, an online pharmacy verification and drug price comparison company, has found that the majority of medications sold at local U.S. pharmacies are manufactured abroad and are then sold in the United States with a much higher price tag.

The FDA reports that 40% of finished prescription drugs sold in the U.S. are foreign made. In contrast, as part of its ongoing research, 28 of the 40 most popular, non-controlled, brand-name drugs sold in the U.S. (as defined by IMS Health data in 2015) are manufactured outside the U.S.

One way to do the research is to go to the U.S. National Library of Medicine website. You can type in a drug in the search box, and then click on the photo of the drug label. See example: Januvia 25 mg. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the drug was made in the UK.

You can also call the manufacturers and ask them where the product is manufactured, however, they may not disclose this information.

Where Can I Find Safety and Cheaper Medication Supply?

20 of the most popular drugs are on average 79% cheaper abroad, with the following average savings per country or group of countries:

  • Canada 67%
  • Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom 79%
  • Turkey 83%
  • India 82%

Most of the brand medications Americans buy at their local pharmacies are foreign made but are often double, even triple the cost compared to the same drugs sold in Canada. Drug importation is legal for pharmaceutical companies, but, regrettably, American consumers face unjust regulatory barriers to accessing lower-cost options from pharmacies outside the U.S.

The FDA says buying medication online is not safe.

However, many medications are made outside of the USA in places like India and Turkey and in fact these places are safe. You just need to ensure that your medication is coming from a trusted source.

Here’s How:

  1. Verify Licensing and Certification: Ensure the website partners with licensed pharmacies regulated by recognized authorities such as provincial pharmacy boards.
  2. Require Prescription Verification: Confirm that the site requires a valid prescription from a licensed healthcare provider before dispensing medications.
  3. Check Contact Information: Ensure the website provides clear, verifiable contact details, including physical address and phone number.
  4. Research the Pharmacy’s Reputation: Read reviews and testimonials from other users and consult trusted sources to verify the pharmacy’s legitimacy.
  5. Use Trusted Verification Tools: Use online resources or databases that list licensed and certified pharmacies in your region or country.

These steps help confirm that the online pharmacy provider operates within regulatory standards and provides safe, regulated medications.

CheapoMeds works with licensed and regulated dispensaries around the world including India, Turkey and Mauritius.

Their licensed and contracted pharmacies have been dispensing prescription medications to Americans for years. This means they have experienced pharmacists and team members working to serve you better to make your prescription and non-prescription medications both safe and affordable.

Reference:

  1. David Lazarus. Column: Where do prescription drugs come from? Good luck answering that question.
  2. Gabriel Levitt. How can I determine where a drug is manufactured?

PharmacyChecker.com. FDA understates percentage of foreign-made medication sold in U.S.

    • 2 months ago

    Is foreign made Januvia really the same product that Merck makes?

      • 1 month ago

      Hi Harv,

      As stated in the article it is difficult to determine where the medicinal ingredient or the excipients are sourced from. Drug manufacturers do not disclose this information. Often medications are manufactured in a single location and distributed globally after meeting the various packaging and labelling requirements for the country the product is destined for. It is my belief that safety is top priority. While drug manufacturers will want to maximize the profitability of a product, safety is a requirement.

      Pharmacy

    • 3 months ago

    where is Xarelto made

      • 1 month ago

      Hi R.A. Koehler,

      As stated in the article it is difficult to determine where the medicinal ingredient or the excipients are sourced from. Drug manufacturers do not disclose this information. Often medications are manufactured in a single location and distributed globally after meeting the various packaging and labelling requirements for the country the product is destined for. Determining where Xarelto, specifically, is manufactured will likely not be disclosed.

      Pharmacy

    • 2 years ago

    and the foreign producers have an accepted Quality assurance program, one that is audited on a regular basis by the USA, come on guys, somehow I doubt it, not even sure about the one the USA manufacturer has,an
    just what can the pharmacist do or does to prove the pills validity

    • 2 years ago

    Thanks for the article. But does the brand name really matter?

      • 2 years ago

      Hi Natalie,

      It is important to only purchase medications from trusted sources such as your local pharmacy or an online company that is working only with certified pharmacy vendors. For example, generic medications sold in Canada are reviewed and authorized by Health Canada. These interchangeable generic medications have been determined to provide the same therapeutic effect as the original brand name medications.

        • 3 months ago

        What a joke. Based on this article my conclusion is that the source of 89% of our prescription drugs is China and India. I do not trust either country, but especially China. I do not want to buy anything from China and I particularly do not want to I gest anything from China. They are not trustworthy.

          • 1 month ago

          Hi John,

          Thank you for your comment. Yes, it is relatively common for pharmaceutical companies worldwide to source ingredients from China and India due to cost advantages and manufacturing capacity. However, many companies also implement strict quality assurance measures and work with regulatory agencies to ensure safety and efficacy.

          Pharmacy

    • 3 years ago

    I take Eliquis 5 mg. Can’t afford. What can I get from Canada and at what cost. Thanks

      • 3 years ago

      Hi Wayne,

      Please click on the links provided in the article which will take to the article sponsor’s site. They will be able to help you.

      Thank you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Rating