Patient Harm
Health Emergency in Texas Due to Repeated Cases of Disfiguring Counterfeit Beauty Treatments
Texas authorities at both the regional and Federal level have combatting a rash of injuries and deaths caused by counterfeit cosmetic injections. From fake dermal fillers and other counterfeit versions of beauty treatments to industrial silicone injections sealed with superglue, these fake injectable cosmetic peddlers are putting the lives of Texas women at risk. The Dallas…
[...]Counterfeit Beauty Injections Claim the Lives of 2 in Southern Texas
Southern Texas has experienced a rash of injuries and 2 deaths that have resulted from counterfeit cosmetic injections. In 2014, Elva Navarro was prosecuted for administering counterfeit beauty injections. Navarro received a 5-year sentence for the death of one of her clients, and another 3 years for injecting her clients with a fake dermal filler that…
[...]Death in LA County Highlights the Dangers of Counterfeit Medication
A County officials warn public about the toxic threat that fake medications pose, and share a tragic story about a woman whose efforts to save money by using non-FDA approved treatments led to her death. An NBC News story shares the details of a counterfeit medication death in Los Angeles County. Esmeralda Mendez described for…
[...]Rogues Gallery Comics: An Illustrated Guide To Counterfeit Drug Crime
The Rogues Gallery Comic Book series tells the real-life stories of fake drug criminals and their cases. Volume one tells about the Greedy Doctor that lied to patients with no hope for a cure, the Master Counterfeiter whose greed drove him straight into the arms of US investigators, the Black Marketer who sold fake drugs to US doctors, and the mystery Criminal Mastermind responsible for introducing counterfeit cancer medication to U.S. oncology practices. In volume two, you’ll read about The Smooth Talker and his $150,000 car, the Canadian who pioneered the fake online pharmacy business model, and the Hero Nurses that stood between oncology patients and dangerous fake medications.
[...]Medical Device King sold imported IUDs and counterfeit cancer drugs that poisoned an American patient
Update: On December 13, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated William Scully’s conviction because a lower court “declined to allow Scully to introduce evidence at his 2015 trial showing he sought legal advice about importing drugs with foreign labels from one of his lawyers.” Ultimately Scully pleaded guilty to one charge of…
[...]Nationwide Epidemic of Counterfeit Pain Pills Containing Fentanyl Claims Lives in 23 States
On October 23, 2015, the San Francisco Department of Public Health released an urgent warning concerning deadly fentanyl disguised as the low-level anti-anxiety medication Xanax. 3 people in San Francisco died as a result of consuming the fentanyl-laced pills. Since that time there have been reported deaths and overdoses attributable to the fake pills in…
[...]Black Market Cosmetic Injectables Threaten Americans
The United States has been experiencing an uptick in the number of patients being treated with fake and misbranded injectable cosmetic treatments. Learn more about these cases, which are one of the most common ways Americans are exposed to dangerous counterfeit medications. In June 2014, Elva Navarro, a spa owner in McAllen, Texas, pleaded guilty…
[...]Dallas Pair Arrested After Client Found Dead from Fake Beauty Treatments
Denise Ross and Jimmy Joe “Alicia” Clark have been arrested in Dallas on murder charges stemming from their use of Hydrogel as a beauty injection treatment. Wykesha Reid’s body was found wrapped in gauze in Ross and Clark’s abandoned beauty salon. Even before Reid’s death, authorities had sought Ross and Clark for practicing medicine without…
[...]California-based Company Sued for Allegedly Implanting Back Surgery Patients With Counterfeit Spinal Hardware
The former owner of a California hospital has pleaded guilty to participating in an illegal medical kickbacks conspiracy, and a medical equipment manufacturer has recalled of all of its spinal fusion hardware due to “performance failures that could cause patient harm.” The case is linked to more than two dozen lawsuits filed alleging that counterfeit…
[...]Daniel Burke Shares his Perspective on the Danger Fake Online Pharmacies Pose at Interchange 2014
Special Agent Burke shared cases such as grandmother Betty Hunter’s run-in with counterfeit cancer medication.
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