Research: All Articles
Cheng MM. Is the drugstore safe? Counterfeit diabetes products on the shelves. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2009;3(6):1 516-20.
It is no longer possible to identify counterfeit medical products, including medications and devices, by simply checking packaging and labeling. Improvements in technology have made it cheaper and easier to produce fake packaging and labels, making it nearly impossible for consumers and authorities to detect counterfeits without conducting tests on the products themselves, as illustrated…
[...]Hargreaves MD, Macleod NA, Smith MR, Andrews D, Hammond SV, Matousek P. Characterisation of transmission Raman spectroscopy for rapid quantitative analysis of intact multi -component pharmceuticals capsules. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2011;54(3):463-8.
A detailed characterisation of the performance of transmission Raman spectroscopy was performed from the standpoint of rapid quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical capsules using production relevant formulations comprising of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and 3 common pharmaceutical excipients. This research builds on our earlier studies that identified the unique benefits of transmission Raman spectroscopy compared to…
[...]Mainous AG, Everett CJ, Post RE, Diaz VA, Hueston, WJ. Availability of Antibiotics for Purchase Without a Prescription on the Internet. Ann Fam Med. 2009;7(5):431-435
Abstract. PURPOSE Reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics is key to many antibiotic resistance initiatives. Most initiatives, however, focus almost exclusively on controlling prescribing by health care clinicians and do not focus on patient self-medication. The purpose of this study was to examine antibiotics available to patients without a prescription, a phenomenon on the Internet. METHODS…
[...]Winegar A, Shepherd MD*, Lawson KA, Richards K. Comparison of claim percent gross margin earned by Texas community independent pharmacies for dual-eligible beneficiaries claims before and after Medicare Part D. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2009 Sept/Oct; 49(5):617-2
Abstract. OBJECTIVES: To describe dual eligibles’ claims before and after Medicare Part D and to evaluate the effect that Medicare Part D has had on the claim percent gross margin (CPGM) earned by Texas community independent pharmacies.
DESIGN: Nonexperimental time series study.
SETTING: Texas, October 2005 through September 2006.
PARTICIPANTS: 313 community independent pharmacies.
INTERVENTION: Review of more than 150,000 Medicaid and 300,000 Medicare Part D claims acquired from a drug claims processor.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CPGM per prescription claim before and after the implementation of Medicare Part D, controlling for generic/brand drug status.
RESULTS: The mean CPGM for prescriptions dispensed before Part D (Medicaid claims) was 26.7%. The mean CPGM for claims dispensed after Part D (Medicare claims) was 17.0% (using ingredient costs in 2006 dollars) or 20.4% (using ingredient costs adjusted to 2005 dollars), a reduction of 36.3% and 23.6%, respectively. Under both Medicaid and Part D, pharmacies earned higher margins for generic drugs (39.9% and 29.5%, respectively) than for brand-name drugs (8.7% and 8.3%, respectively).
CONCLUSION: These results support community pharmacy assertions of lower reimbursements from Part D payers compared with Medicaid payers. Based on these results, pharmacies can respond to this evolving environment by carefully reviewing their Part D plans’ impact on CPGM and taking available steps to increase the proportion of generic drugs dispensed to Medicare beneficiaries.
[...]Puchert T, Lochmann D, Menezes JC, Reich G. Near-infrared chemical imaging (NIR-CI) for counterfeit drug identification–a four-stage concept with a novel approach of data processing (Linear Image Signature). J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2010;51(1):138-45.
A new stage concept was developed to reliably identify counterfeit tablets which are very similar to the genuine drug product. This concept combines single-point near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and near-infrared chemical imaging (NIR-CI) with statistical variance analysis. The advantage of NIR-CI over NIRS is the potential to determine not only the amount, but also the spatial…
[...]Nyadong L, Harris GA, Balayssac S, Galhena AS, Malet-Martino M, Martino R, Parry RM, Wang MD, Fernández FM, Gilard V. Combining two-dimensional diffusion-ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, imaging desorption electrospray ionization mass spe
During the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the number of reported cases involving counterfeit medicines in developing and developed countries. Particularly, artesunate-based antimalarial drugs have been targeted, because of their high demand and cost. Counterfeit antimalarials can cause death and can contribute to the growing problem of drug resistance, particularly in…
[...]Seiter A. Health and economic consequences of counterfeit drugs. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2009;85(6):576-8.
"Counterfeit Drugs Kill" is the slogan the World Health Organization (WHO) uses in its anti-counterfeiting campaign. International organizations, governments of developed and developing countries, and the pharmaceutical industry created the IMPACT initiative (International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce) to take on the thriving illegal industry that makes profits by selling fake drugs. However, before committing resources,…
[...]Gautam CS, Utreja A, Singal GL. Spurious and counterfeit drugs: a growing industry in the developing world. Postgrad Med J. 2009;85(1003):251-6.
Spread of spurious/counterfeit/substandard drugs is a modern day menace which has been recognised internationally, especially so in developing countries. The problem assumes added significance in view of rapid globalisation. The market of spurious and counterfeit drugs is a well-organised, white collar crime. Poverty, high cost of medicines, lack of an official supply chain, legislative lacunae,…
[...]Thevis M, Schrader Y, Thomas A, Sigmund G, Geyer H, Schänzer W. Analysis of Confiscated Black Market Drugs Using Chromatographic and Mass Spectrometric Approaches. J Anal Toxicol. 2008 Apr;32(3):232-240.
Abstract. In the context of house searches in Germany, numerous drugs were confiscated and subjected to chemical analysis, including anabolic agents such as various anabolic-androgenic steroids (stanozolol, testosterone derivatives, trenbolone esters, etc.) and clenbuterol, as well as agents with anti-estrogenic activity (tamoxifen, clomiphene), drugs stimulating virility (sildenafil, tadalafil), and unlabeled plastic bags. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass…
[...]Graham MR, Ryan P, Baker JS, Davies B, Thomas NE, Cooper SM, Evans P, Easmon S, Walker CJ, Cowan D, Kicman AT. Counterfeiting in performance- and image-enhancing drugs. Drug Test Anal. 2009;1(3):135-42
The current drastic escalation in obesity may be contributing to the exponential rise in drugs used for image enhancement. Drugs such as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are perceived as a viable method of achieving a perfect physique. They are also the most widely abused drugs in sport. The Internet has encouraged the abuse of expensive drugs,…
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