Fake drug can’t be tied to deaths
London Free Press. A bogus heart drug allegedly dispensed at a Hamilton pharmacy may have played a role in the deaths of four of its customers, but authorities said yesterday they can't say for sure. A now completed coroner's investigation began in June after a patient using the pharmacy reported an oddly coloured pill in her supply of Norvasc, a drug used to treat angina and high blood pressure. An analysis found tablets that looked like Norvasc were in fact talcum powder. In all, 11 reported deaths were examined for any links to what is alleged to be the first case in Canada of a fake drug being dispensed by an accredited pharmacy. Of those, a link has been ruled out in all but four, said regional coroner Dr. David Eden.
Colin Perkel
October 7, 2005