Evolution of Current Law
Timeline of Drug Regulation in the United States
Federal controls over the drug supply began with inspection of imported drugs in 1848. The following chronology describes some of the milestones in the history of drug regulation in the United States. 1820 — Eleven physicians meet in Washington, D.C., to establish the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the first compendium of standard drugs for the United States. 1848 — Congress passes the Drug Importation Act, requiring the U.S. Customs Service to stop the entry of adulterated drugs from overseas. 1862 — President Lincoln appoints a chemist, Charles M. Wetherill, to serve in the new Department of Agriculture. This is the beginning of…
