Drugs made in Puerto Rico more likely to have quality problem - Recent Study

Quality problems more likely in offshore drug plants, study finds

by John Gray
Ohio State University

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Drugs produced in offshore manufacturing plants –- even those run by U.S. manufacturers -- pose a greater quality risk than those prepared in the mainland United States, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that drugs produced in Puerto Rican plants owned and operated by U.S. pharmaceutical firms were more likely to have quality problems than those produced by the same firm in a matched plant on the United States mainland.

"We believe the quality differences we found in Puerto Rican plants were driven by challenges in transferring knowledge from headquarters to the plant, due to cultural differences, primarily differences in language and values."

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/osu-qpm090611.php