Episode
What the FDA Won’t Tell You About Your Medications
- Podcast
- Paper Trail
- Published
- May 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2338
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
For years, the Food and Drug Administration told the public that generics are just as safe and effective as brand-name medications. But ProPublica reporters uncovered reports from the FDA’s own inspectors detailing everything from pigeons pooping onto boxes of sterilized equipment to evidence of a factory cheating on quality testing. Even though the FDA knew about these reports, it let some of those troubled factories overseas keep shipping their drugs to the U.S. — some of which might have ended up in your medicine cabinet. This episode details why and how a secretive group inside the FDA made the decision to keep this information from the public and how you can find out where your own medications are made. Reporters: Debbie Cenziper and Megan Rose Read More: https://www.propublica.org/article/fda-drug-loophole-sun-pharma Look up your own drugs: https://projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/ Support our journalism by donating at propublica.org/donate .