Washington DC, Oct. 17 -- US Senator Jim Banks has urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to step up inspections of overseas pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, expressing concern over poor-quality drugs being imported from countries like India and China.

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, Banks said the agency must "do more to protect the US drug supply," warning that lax oversight could endanger American consumers. He pointed out that inspections of foreign drug plants have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, even as the number of manufacturers continues to grow.

"The public expects the FDA to protect them from impure drugs by identifying them at the source and blocking them from entering the supply chain. ...