Drug manufacturer Schering-Plough announced today that it will pay the U.S. government $500 million to settle complaints about quality control problems at two of its facilities. In February 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that manufacturing procedures at Schering-Plough's New Jersey and Puerto Rico plants did not meet government standards.

As part of the consent decree signed with the FDA, Schering, best known as the maker of the allergy medications Claritin and Clarinex, will hire outside experts to ensure that the company complies with the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices standards in the future.