New Coalition May Lead to Increased FDA Inspections
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is expanding his investigation into the supplement industry, today announcing the formation of a coalition designed to further investigate supplements and ensure that supplement companies are complying with the law. With the attorney general’s office noting that problems in the industry are not limited to New York, the multistate coalition so far brings together attorneys general from Connecticut, Indiana and Puerto Rico to help ensure that supplement companies are taking all necessary steps to comply with current guidelines for the manufacturing and marketing of dietary supplements – and is expected to identify problems in the dietary supplement industry that extend beyond those recently addressed in New York State.
According to an article in the New York Times, Mr. Schneiderman has said that the agencies were pooling their resources and pulling prosecutors nationwide together “to examine labeling, quality control and other aspects of the herbal supplement industry” — noting that he believes problems in the herbal industry extend beyond just New York. With additional attorneys general from across the country expected to join the coalition, this new coalition is likely to play a growing role in how dietary supplements are marketed moving forward, serving as a catalyst for even more scrutiny of the supplement industry in the months, and years, to come.
In addition to the role that this new coalition is expected to play in directly monitoring and investigating dietary supplement companies, it is likely that the formation of this coalition will also have another big impact on the supplement industry: increased FDA inspections of supplement companies. With so much attention now being given to dietary supplements and the law, and with the upcoming role that the coalition is expected to play on investigating the supplement industry, it is likely that both the FDA and FTC may step up their own monitoring and inspection of supplement companies — leading to dietary supplements being under fire not only from this new coalition, but under the increased watchful eye of the FDA and FTC. This can potentially lead to an increase in FDA warning letters, FDA/FTC inspections, 483s and make GMP compliance even more of a critical issue in the months to come.
The formation of this new coalition, and the anticipated additional scrutiny by the FDA/FTC surrounding dietary supplements, make it critical for supplement companies today to ensure that they are in full compliance with all current regulatory guidelines in the dietary supplement industry. For supplement companies today, the time to act to ensure GMP compliance is now – before a company is facing an inspection, an investigation … or worse. Our attorneys are able to help supplement companies today ensure that they are in full compliance with all current FDA/FTC regulatory guidelines for dietary supplements, and have unparalleled experience in the area of GMP compliance in the supplement industry. Call us at 516-294-0300 or email Rick Collins at [email protected] to discuss how we can help you adapt to the changing times ahead in the dietary supplement industry – and how we can ensure that you are best prepared for the additional regulatory scrutiny that is expected to impact so many in the industry in the months ahead.
For more information, and to read about the formation of the new coalition and its potential impact on the dietary supplement industry, click here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/safety-of-herbal-supplements-pulls-prosecutors-together/?_r=0