What the FDA Won’t Tell You About Your Medications

ProPublica

14 May 2026

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 RoseRead More: https://www.propublica.org/article/fda-drug-loophole-sun-pharmaLook up your own drugs: https://projects.propublica.org/rx-inspector/Support our journalism by donating at propublica.org/donate.