By the early nineteenth century, the United States had become a dumping ground for poor quality drugs that were unmarketable in Europe. Lewis Caleb Beck's book Adulteration of Various Substances Used in Medicine and the Arts, published in 1846, was one of the first publications to document the problems in the American drug supply. At this time, soldiers of the Mexican-American War were also facing high casualties that were attributed to the administration of weak and adulterated drugs. These were two of the main factors behind the passage of the Drug Importation Act on June 26, 1848. The act required imported drugs to meet the standards for strength and purity established in the USP. While the enforcement of the act was ineffective and short lived, the legislation helped solidify USP's status as a national compendium and set a precedent for future federal drug laws.
Published Oct 7, 2010
1848 Drug Importation Act
