938 FDA to Begin Monitoring Generic Drug Quality

Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about: A number of foreign drug firms have been cited by the FDA for poor quality control (and in some cases data manipulation). Perhaps in response, the agency has decided to establish a new Office under its jurisdiction. The Office of Pharmaceutical Quality will actually test the drugs Americans take to see if they meet appropriate standards. While the program applies to brand name drugs as well, it is concerns about generic drug quality that are driving this welcome initiative. What steps will the FDA take to ensure drug quality? A recent article indicates that stethoscopes are just as likely as hands to be contaminated after a doctor examines a patient. But while everyone pays attention to hand hygiene, hardly any institutions require stethoscope disinfection between patients. Isn’t it time to start? Some parents are trying to fight child obesity by starting their toddlers on skim milk at an early age. Dr. Alan Greene tells us why that might not be ideal. We also discuss home remedies that help for common health conditions. Call in your questions and comments at 888-472-3366 or email [email protected] between 7 and 8 am EDT. Guests:  Janet Woodcock, MD, is Chief Medical Officer and head of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at FDA, Rockville, MD. 
 Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, is founder of www.drgreene.com, cited by the AMA as “the pioneer physician Web site.” He was founding president of the Society for Participatory Medicine, a practicing pediatrician and founder of the WhiteOut Now movement to change how babies are fed from their very first bite of solid food. His books include Feeding Baby Green and Raising Baby Green. The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for four weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.