Bennet Applauds New FDA Strategy on Imported Products, Calls for Further Measures to Ensure Safety for Consumers

Statement

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today released the following statement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new strategy to help ensure the safety and quality of imported FDA-regulated products.

"Most Americans hardly think twice about whether the drugs in our local pharmacy and supermarket are safe. During their busy daily lives, they rarely question the potential that their medicine will actually harm them and they trust their government has taken the necessary safeguards. But that isn't always the case. With more and more pharmaceuticals manufactured abroad, the FDA lacks the proper authority to adequately safeguard our drug supply and protect Colorado consumers.

"The new strategy announced by the FDA today is an important step forward, but there is more work to do to ensure the medicines and products Coloradans rely on are safe and will not put them and their families in harm's way. We need a greater capacity for inspections, a better way to track drugs and their ingredients through the supply chain and harsher penalties.

"A strong drug supply chain that protects American consumers is a matter of common sense, national security, and consumer safety."

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