Tainted Chinese Heparin Becomes Deadlier Scandal

Tainted products from China have raised caution flags over the past few years, most notably in the food, toy and pet food industries. However, the medical industry now is experiencing the a deadlier problem in the form of tainted pharmaceutical ingredients making their way into the U.S. healthcare system.

Time magazine recently investigated tainted heparin that originated in China and eventually killed about 150 people, including dialysis patients, in 2008. The article exposes the dark side of China’s heparin problem that includes corruption, bait-and-switch ingredients and a serious lack of regulation.