Generic Drug Quality in the USA: Get Informed

The generic drugs many of us depend upon are not the same as their brand-name counterparts. In fact, as much as 30% of all generics dispensed in the US contain harmful contaminants. This is unacceptable! Patients deserve confidence in the medications they take every day.


On April 9, 2025, the HCMA was on Capitol Hill. We met with congressional Representatives and Senators to discuss important topics such as safe generic drugs and how dangerous and wasteful step therapy requirements by insurance companies are to patients and families. We represented approximately 5 million patients, their families and healthcare providers as we delivered these messages.

Click to request the support of your representatives in Washington! 

HCMA has drafted a letter that can be automatically generated and sent to your congressional representatives with a single click.  Fill in your information to customize the letter and send it to the appropriate congress member. This is a step we can take toward safer generic drugs for everyone.

Click to ACT NOW

ProPublica has done a series of articles on generic drugs in the United States.  For more information visit our blog. 

On June 26, HCMA Founder and CEO, Lisa Salberg, convened a panel of physicians, pharmacists, Department of Defense, and patients for a discussion of concerns around generic drug quality. Hundreds of people have viewed this video, either in person or on YouTube, as the panel discussed the the issues with drugs manufactured outside the United States and what we can do about it. Watch now on Youtube!


Panelists:
Dr. Harry Lever, MD, formerly of Cleveland Clinic
David Light, PharmD and CEO of Valisure
Vic Suarez, Colonel (Ret.), Us Army, MS, PMP, CMRP
Christine Jones, Patient

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Resources

MedShadow Foundation Webinars on Generic Drug Quality

MedShadow is a nonprofit foundation that focuses on the safest ways to take over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) medications. Our name derives from the fact that side effects can sometimes be difficult to recognize, which is why we work to illuminate and explain medication reactions that may be minimized or obscured.

The People's Pharmacy provides people with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.

Founded by journalists and scientists, Joe and Terry Graedon, The People's Pharmacy has received recognition  from  the American Medical Writers Association and American Association of Orthopedic Medicine, among others, and are former Federal Trade Commission on Non-Prescription Drug Advertising and Rule Making consultants.

Citations

We Spent a Year Investigating How the FDA Let Risky Drugs Into the U.S. Market, by Brandon Roberts, Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose, and Irena Hwang. June 17, 2025.

ProPublica Sued the FDA for Withholding Records About Drug Safety, by  Katherine Dailey and Jessie Nguyen, Medill Investigative Lab. June 18, 2025.
Are All Generic Drugs Created Equal? An Empirical Analysis of Generic Drug Manufacturing Location and Serious Drug Adverse Events
In Joon Noh, John Gray, George Ball, Zachary Wright, and Hyunwoo Park, POMS. First published online February 6, 2025.
Hemorrhagic and Thrombotic Events Associated with Generic Substitution of Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Retrospective Analysis
Sameer R Ghate, Joseph E Biskupiak, Xiangyang Ye, Michael Hagan, Winghan Jacqueline Kwong, Eben S Fox, and Diana I Brixner. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Volume 45, Issue 6.