The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday announced it will expand its effort to conduct unannounced inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities that produce medical products and foods. This action aims to create a more level playing field between domestic and foreign inspections, as domestic inspections are typically conducted without prior notice, while foreign inspections are usually preannounced.
The move comes one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to promote the domestic production of pharmaceutical products, including calling on FDA to step up its foreign drug inspections and reevaluate its approach to pre-approval inspections.
“With this shift, the FDA is further ensuring that every product entering the U.S. is safe, legitimate, and honestly made. Unannounced inspections will also help expose bad actors—those who falsify records or conceal violations—before they can put American lives at risk,” FDA said in its announcement…
