Govt to companies: stop selling drugs
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
By: Kerry Grens
kgrens@whyy.org
Two pharmaceutical companies in Pennsylvania are in hot water for selling unapproved narcotics. From WHYY's health and science desk, Kerry Grens reports. (Photo: Michelle Tribe)
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Transcript:
The Food and Drug Administration sent letters to Lannett Company in Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Technologies in Bethlehem this week. They are among a number of companies that make morphine medications and other pain killers not approved by the FDA. Michael Levy is the director of the division of new drugs and labeling compliance at the FDA. He says this is the latest move to get thousands of unapproved drugs off pharmacy shelves.
Levy: We estimated when we began this initiative in 2006 that approximately 2% of all prescriptions are filled for unapproved drugs.
If the companies don't comply by ceasing to market the medications, they could face criminal penalties. The manufacturers have 60 days to stop making the pain killers. Both Lannett and Lehigh Valley Technologies did not respond to requests for comment.
