This afternoon, shares continued to drop, falling another 8 percent to close at $30.05. With 2012 net sales of $4.09 billion, Hospira has been working to right the ship at its factory in Rocky Mount, N.C., since 2011, when the FDA first identified problems there. The plant, which once accounted for a quarter of Hospira's sales, has been operating at less than full capacity for more than a year. On the conference call with analysts Wednesday, CEO F. Michael Ball disclosed that FDA officials had returned to the plant on Tuesday for a much anticipated re-inspection. The buildup to the visit was "like studying for a test for a year and a half and finally it arrives," he said, according to a transcript. The re-inspection, which is ongoing, is crucial to Mr. Ball because federal regulators could require a consent decree, which would require more government intervention into operations at the plant and slow production.