reprinted from our brothers and sisters at DU

A New Report from WakeUpWalMart.com
WakeupWalmart.com supports the use of generic prescription drugs as a safe alternative to expensive, name-brand medications. Walmart’s use of a corporate bad actor to cut costs, however, deserves significant scrutiny.

Walmart is heavily promoting a program of 30-day supplies of generic drugs for $4, pointing to the program as an indicator of the company’s leadership on making healthcare more affordable. To profit on $4 dollar prescriptions, Walmart is importing drugs from foreign countries, including India.<1> Walmart competitor Costco went a different direction in late 2006, when it ended its $4 dollar prescription drug plan because it was losing money selling prescription drugs at such a low price.<2> Costco switched to selling 100 pills for $10.

One of Walmart’s Indian drug suppliers, Ranbaxy Laboratories, LTD, has been repeatedly investigated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Justice for "inadequate" safeguards against contamination, falsification of records and submitting false information to the FDA.<3> Eight months before the FDA inspected Ranbaxy’s Paonta Sahib plant and found significant violations, Walmart awarded the company a "Supplier Award" for improving shipping times and performance.<4>

In 2008, the FDA banned importation of drugs manufactured at two of Ranbaxy’s plants,<5> and in 2009, the FDA halted review of applications to import drugs manufactured at the Paonta Sahib plant. <6> Soon thereafter, Canada followed suit and banned importation of drugs manufactured at that facility.<7>

Yet Walmart still imports generic drugs made by Ranbaxy at its other Indian facilities.

More:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/ranbaxy/