Study Finds Sharp Drop in FDA Inspections of Drug Manufacturing Facilities Since Pandemic Began

The total annual number of inspections of drug manufacturing establishments by the FDA dropped by 79 percent for foreign nations in 2022 compared with 2019.

Pharmaceuticals in North Andover, Mass., in an undated photo. Elise Amendola/AP Photo

The number of inspections of drug manufacturing facilities that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was able to carry out both in the United States and abroad plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the findings of a new study.

Researchers analyzed FDA inspection data, which was acquired through Freedom of Information Act requests, from the period 2012–2022 across China, Europe, India, Latin America, and other foreign nations.