Global Supply/Parallel Trade
Amon JJ. Dangerous medicines: unproven AIDS cures and counterfeit antiretroviral drugs. Global Health. 2008;4:5.
BACKGROUND: Increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical goal endorsed by the United Nations and all of its member states. At the same time, anecdotal accounts suggest that the promotion of unproven AIDS 'cures' and remedies are widespread, and in the case of The Gambia, Iran and South Africa, have been promoted by…
[...]Lammons KD. The October 2005 Fake Flu Vaccine Incident. J Biolaw Bus. 2007;10(4):40-43.
In October of 2005, Houston Texas was the site of a fake flu vaccine scam. Approximately 1400 persons were injected with a substance that was purported to be flu vaccine when in fact it was not. The investigation into this incident revealed that the victims had been injected with purified water and none of the…
[...]Liang BA.* A Dose of Reality: Promoting Access to Pharmaceuticals. Wake Forest Intell Prop LJ. 2007 Dec 1;8:301-386
Abstract. The U.S. uses and benefits substantially from prescription drugs. Pharmaceuticals save lives, relieve suffering, and promote the quality of life for those with access to them. However, access means both availability of the authentic drug and access at prices patients can afford. Unfortunately, current public policy does not effectively address either component. The result…
[...]Shepherd, M.* Drug Importation and Safety of Drugs Obtained from Canada. Ann Pharmacother. 2007;41:1288-1291.
Drug importation from Canada has been hotly debated for nearly a decade. Many believe that drug importation will bring needed competition and lower US drug prices. Opposition argues that the costs of ensuring product quality and safety, as well as added healthcare costs, will offset savings attained from imported pharmaceuticals. The US needs to become…
[...]Shepherd, M.* Impact of drug importation on community pharmacy and patient care. J Am Pharm Assn. 2007; 47(3):319-327
With the politcal powers shifting in both congressional houses, many pharmaceutical issues have resurfaced in the 110th Congress. One of these is legalization of drug importation. Many Democrats and Republicans have already stated that this is a high-priority item. In the first 60 days of the First Session, two bills were introduced that would legalize…
[...]Shepherd MD.* Impact of Drug Importation on Community Pharmacy and Patient Care. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2007 May-Jun ;47:319-20, 323-4, 327
Abstract. With the political powers shifting in both congressional houses, many pharmaceutical issues have resurfaced in the 110th Congress. One of these is legalization of drug importation. Many Democrats and Republicans have already stated that this is a high-priority item. In the first 60 days of the First Session, two bills were introduced that would…
[...]Eban K. Dangerous Doses. J Biolaw Bus. 2006;9(4):57-60.
For years, the nation's medicine has moved through a thriving gray market of middlemen, who buy and sell medicine to one another. These middlemen often resort to fraud in order to obtain medicine for resale more cheaply through drug diversion. Soaring prices, weak laws and numerous opportunities for arbitrage have attracted narcotics traffickers and organized…
[...]Schulte G. An Overview of Pharmaceutical Smuggling Cases in San Diego: It Goes Better When Agencies Work Together. J Biolaw Bus. 2006;9(4):41-45.
The U.S. Customs Service and its successor agency U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is now located within the Department of Homeland Security, have conducted investigations into the illegal importation of unapproved and counterfeit pharmaceuticals for decades. Other federal and state agencies have conducted similar investigations. Advances in technology have created an increasingly favorable…
[...]Thomson J. The European Pharmaceutical Supply Chain: Implications for the USA. J Biolaw Bus. 2006;9(4):65-68.
As American consumers seek their medicines at the best price, many are buying online, from foreign-based websites. Many of these websites purport to be based in Canada and some legitimate Canadian websites source their drugs from Great Britain or Ireland-believing that these drugs come from a country with a secure supply chain. This is, at…
[...]Liang BA.* Crime, Terrorism, and Counterfeit Drugs: Addressing the International Regime. J Biolaw Bus. 2006;9(4): 36-40.
Producing counterfeit drugs is a lucrative, low risk, high return business. Organized criminal elements and terrorist organizations are exploiting this reality across borders to fund their activities. An interdisciplinary, multi-focal strategy to raise awareness of the issue, establish stakeholder reporting systems, reform penalties to fit the crime, and invest in technology must be engaged to…
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