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Investigation Reveals 90% of U.S. Prescriptions Are Generics

1/12/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The ProPublica investigation finds that about 90% of U.S. prescriptions are filled with generic drugs, while the FDA seldom tests their quality.
The FDA maintains that all approved generic drugs match the quality of brand-name drugs.
John Yang interviews investigative reporter Debbie Cenziper to discuss these findings and their potential implications.
The discussion centers on what the findings mean for consumer confidence and regulatory oversight.

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Story summary

The ProPublica investigation finds that about 90% of U.S. prescriptions are filled with generic drugs, while the FDA seldom tests their quality.
The FDA maintains that all approved generic drugs match the quality of brand-name drugs.
John Yang interviews investigative reporter Debbie Cenziper to discuss these findings and their potential implications.
The discussion centers on what the findings mean for consumer confidence and regulatory oversight.