Alabama’s two U.S. senators are backing new bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing transparency in the prescription drug supply chain by requiring country-of-origin labeling on medications and their key ingredients.
U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) have joined colleagues in introducing the Consumer Labeling for Enhanced API Reporting and Legitimate Accountability for Base Entity Listings (CLEAR LABELS) Act, which would add country-of-origin disclosure requirements for prescription drugs and their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
“Patients deserve transparency to make informed health care decisions. If someone is taking drugs from China and other foreign adversaries, they deserve to know,” said Britt. That’s why I am proud to support the CLEAR LABELS Act to help restore faith in the quality, safety, and reliability of the medications Americans depend on.”
According to Britt and Tuberville, many prescription drugs and APIs are manufactured overseas — particularly in China and India — but current federal labeling rules do not require public disclosure of where those ingredients or finished products are made.
The bill would require prescription drug labels to identify the original manufacturers of both finished drugs and APIs so patients, pharmacists, and providers have clearer information about sourcing.
The measure is being led by members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging, including Chairman Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), along with additional bipartisan cosponsors.
Scott said families currently lack critical information about where their medications originate. “As parents and grandparents, we do everything we can to make informed, safe decisions that keep our families safe and healthy. But right now, families are being kept in the dark about where their drugs are coming from. America’s drug supply is dependent on our enemies like China and countries such as India to manufacture our drugs and ingredients, often with limited transparency and oversight.”
Scott added, “This broken process leaves patients in the dark about where their drugs come from. Families deserve to have confidence that the medicines they take are safe, regulated, and clearly labeled,” said Scott. “That’s why I’m leading the bipartisan CLEAR LABELS Act with Ranking Member Gillibrand to add country of origin labels to your medicines and help ensure every American can feel comfortable knowing what’s in their medicine cabinet.”
Tuberville also emphasized supply chain risk and consumer awareness, while pointing to efforts to expand domestic drug manufacturing, including recent attention he has given to Alabama-based pharmaceutical production.
“Most Americans are so used to taking medicines that they don’t stop to think where it comes from,” said Tuberville. “We have become way too reliant on foreign supply chains for our generic medicines—and it’s putting our health at risk. Americans deserve to know where their medicines are being made and what ingredients they contain. It’s common sense. I’m proud to join Sen. Rick Scott in introducing the CLEAR LABELS Act to give Americans the truth so they can make more informed decisions when it comes to the medicines they consume.”
Supporters say the CLEAR LABELS Act would give patients and health care providers clearer, upfront sourcing information and strengthen accountability across the pharmaceutical supply chain through standardized disclosure on prescription labels.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
