Importation
A Risky Proposition: Opening the US to Foreign Medicines Will Put American Children at Heightened Risk
In 2011, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) released a report detailing the dangers posed to American children if the secure and safe U.S. medical supply chain is opened to foreign drugs through importation.
[...]Pine Bluff AR Doctor Found Guilty of Health Care Fraud in Fake IUD Case
Osteopath Kelly Dean Shrum was found guilty by a jury of one count of misdemeanor Misbranding in violation of the Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act and one count of Health Care Fraud. He was originally indicted on one count each of misbranding and health care fraud and three counts of money laundering for using imported…
[...]Prominent Wisconsin Pharmacist Arrested on Counterfeit Drug Importation Charges
A Wisconsin pharmacist was recently arrested on charges that she imported and sold millions of pills of phony erectile dysfunction medication and other counterfeit drugs. Marla Ahlgrimm, who owns a number of businesses in Madison, Wisconsin, was arrested when she walked into her office while authorities were executing a search warrant, according to the Wisconsin…
[...]Buying Foreign Drugs Can Be Dangerous
With the economic recession people have been looking for ways to save money and some have even resorted to visiting Mexican and Canadian pharmacies to buy prescription drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recommend that people buy their drugs from Canadian pharmacies however, according to the Arizona Republic. Some Arizona residents have…
[...]Three Utah Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Online Pharmacy
Three men from Utah were recently sentenced to federal prison for their illegal online pharmacy operation. Noah Sifuentes, of Orem, Utah, and Timothy Shields and Kenneth E. Forrest, of Provo, Utah, had all previously pleaded guilty to an illegal online pharmacy business that sent prescription drugs from Mexico across the country, according to the Daily…
[...]U.S. Reaffirms Commitment to Stop North Korea’s Counterfeiting
The U.S. State Department recently reaffirmed its intentions to stop the flow of counterfeit drugs and fake money coming out of North Korea. At a press briefing, department spokesman Patrick Crowley said the U.S. would continue to apply pressure on those who are in charge of North Korea’s policies, reports the Yonhap News Agency. “We…
[...]28 Doctors in 10 Rhode Island Practices Investigated for Purchasing Misbranded IUDs
The Rhode Island Department of Health announced an investigation of 28 providers in 10 Rhode Island OB-GYN medical offices who had illegally imported non-FDA approved IUDs and inserted them into patients. Among the practices named were OB-GYN Associates, Inc, Bayside OB-GYN, Inc., and Center for Obstetrics & Gynecology, Inc. The Rhode Island Department of Health…
[...]“Safe” Country Focus: United Kingdom
As my colleague Thomas Kubic recently noted, most supporters of drug importation have a faulty assumption that developed countries like Canada, Australia, Japan and the 27 members of the European Union (E.U.) are insulated from the global threat of counterfeit drugs. In the coming weeks, we will take a closer look at some of these so-called “safe” countries and illustrate why there is no such thing as a “safe” country when it comes to drug importation.
[...]No Such Thing as a “Safe Country” for Drug Importation
With talks about drug importation continuing in Congress, drug importation supporters argue that if the United States allows importation only from “safe countries,” such as Canada and the United Kingdom, than most of drug safety concerns would be eliminated. However, when it comes to drug importation, there is no such thing as a “safe” country.
[...]Inside the World of Counterfeit Drugs
Part 3: Implications for the U.S. and the Drug Importation Debate – As the debate surrounding the possible ban on the repackaging of medicines in Europe simmers to a boil, here in the United States the potentially dangerous practice of ordering prescription medicines via the Internet is mushrooming. Enticed by the promise of cheaper drugs and convenience by buying online, patients are largely unaware of the risks that come with online pharmacies. These risks can range from receiving products with too much, too little or no active ingredients, to being exposed to counterfeit products, which in some rare cases have been found to contain rat poison, boric acid and even inkjet cartridges!
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