Marv D. Shepherd, PhD
Pharmacists Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs
Earlier this month, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) released the L.E.A.D.E.R.’s Guide for Pharmacists to encourage pharmacists to take an active role in protecting the supply chain from counterfeit drugs. This effort is one of many to help curb the distribution of harmful and potentially deadly counterfeit drugs. Similarly, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Dispensing Doctor’s Association (DDA) issued Counterfeit medicines: Guidance for pharmacists, explaining the background of counterfeit drugs, their production and distribution to pharmacists.
[...]Strategizing for Safety from Counterfeit Drugs
On April 6, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released a summary of negotiations that have taken place since the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) was introduced in June 2008. Countries from across the world, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland, have joined the ACTA to help governments combat the harmful manufacture and distribution of fake goods, such as counterfeit drugs.
[...]LEADERs in the Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs
In the past two weeks, the Partnership for Safe Medicines issued two SafeMeds Alerts about counterfeit insulin pen needles and herbal medication adulterated with dangerously high levels of undeclared pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom. It is tempting to disregard these alerts since the drugs were found in England, not the United States. But in today’s global environment, we are all at risk when these unsafe products move through the drug supply chain undetected.
[...]Expired Medication Found in US-Based Pharmacy Chains
It is important to remember that unsafe drugs are not confined to overseas and online pharmacies. Expired medications could be for sale at your corner drugstore.
[...]Counterfeit Drugs and Baby Formula
Four infants are dead and more than 54,000 children in China have suffered from kidney stones and kidney failure this past year as a result of baby formula and powdered milk tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics, glue and is found in pesticides. The toxin found its way into the milk products from more than 30 Chinese companies because of its ability to make the milk appear high in protein.
[...]Politics and Counterfeit Drugs
Currently, the United States has one of the safest drug supplies in the world because its pharmaceutical supply system is “closed” to importation. Once a drug is outside the strictly regulated distribution channel, there is no guarantee of its authenticity, effectiveness, or safety. We know from the recent incident in China of the deliberately contaminated…
[...]Online Pharmacies and Prescriptions
Partnership for Safe Medicines Issues Statements on Series of Drug Safety Hearings
Recently, the heparin contamination and drug safety in general have taken center stage on Capitol Hill. In the past two weeks, there has been three hearings in the House and one in the Senate examining issues affecting the safety of our prescription medicines.
[...]Heparin Update: 62 Suspected U.S. Fatalities, 2 Upcoming Hearings
The heparin fallout continues. As an update to our March 13 post, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now reports 62, not 19, suspicious deaths in the United States linked to the blood thinner heparin, most of which occurred in December, January and February. According to an article in the New York Times, investigations continue into whether the deaths were caused by the Chinese contaminant.
[...]