Want high-quality generic drugs? One expert has ideas on how consumers can trust their supply

By Ed SilvermanJune 23, 2026

Pharmalot Columnist, Senior Writer

Ed’s stories explore prescription drug pricing, affordability and access, as well issues surrounding patents, litigation, and legislation. He is also the author of the morning Pharmalittle newsletter and the afternoon Pharmalot newsletter.For many years, generic drugs have accounted for roughly 90% of the prescriptions doled out to Americans thanks to their lower cost. Yet reliable supplies have been an issue due to inconsistent quality — more than 60% of the generic shortages have been attributed to quality concerns, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Numerous manufacturers, many based in India, have been cited for violating manufacturing protocols that led to product recalls and, sometimes, bans on sending drugs to the U.S.

But Kevin Schulman, a professor and deputy director of the Clinical Excellence Research Center at the Stanford University School of Medicine, believes a solution is within reach. Schulman — who has also worked with an independent lab called Valisure that found impurities in some widely used medicines — argues the FDA should encourage testing by independent, accredited laboratories.

We recently spoke with him about the subject. This is an edited version of our conversation.