World News
Blacklisted firm among key drug suppliers
Save a little but lose big online
How much can you "save" by buying cheap drugs over the Internet? Be careful, consumers. You may, in fact, be paying for dangerous knockoffs that could cost a lot more than you bargained for. In August, knockoffs of Johnson & Johnson's OneTouch Test Strips were traced to China. One year prior, they had surfaced in…
[...]DOJ Cracks Down on Internet Pharmacy
Six men face charges of illegally distributing drugs through an Internet pharmacy, and the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking forfeiture of more than US$40 million in profit from the operation. The men, from the U.S. and Puerto Rico, were indicted Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa in Cedar Rapids,…
[...]Nigeria: Fake Chemicals, Not Doctors, Cause Wrong Diagnosis
The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Dora Akunyili yesterday said fake chemicals used for the manufacture of drugs and diagnosis in laboratories were responsible for most health problems in the country. The DG, NAFDAC who was fielding questions from news men at the induction of…
[...]The high price of cheap pills
When was the last time you picked up a bottle of Bayer Aspirin and wondered whether it was authentic? Never? Well, that's because Bayer is a well-known brand. You were probably in a chain store, or at least on a popular website like DrugStore.com. Plus, you don't need a prescription for aspirin. But what if…
[...]What’s In The Bottle? Your Pharmacy Might Not Know
You buy your prescription drugs from a reputable pharmacy with the belief that the medicine in the bottle is exactly what the doctor ordered. But buyer beware: neither you, nor your pharmacy, nor the government has any way of being certain it is. Long Island native Tim Fagan, now 22, had a liver transplant at…
[...]New counterfeit report highlights worrying trends
"Today, few jurisdictions, whether developed or developing, are immune from counterfeit pharmaceuticals and the infringement of intellectual property rights", warned the report on counterfeiting released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). While the magnitude of counterfeit pharmaceuticals is still reported as low (less than one percent) in many developed countries, such as…
[...]Uganda: NDA Boss Grilled Over Fake Drugs
MEMBERS of Parliament on Monday quizzed officials from the National Drug Authority on the continued proliferation of counterfeit anti-malarial drugs in the country. The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises investigating NDA work was meeting the board members over policy issues. NDA is the national drug regulatory body. "We have reports that…
[...]Counterfeit medicines supplier sentenced
Interpol to fight sale of fake medicines in Africa
International police body Interpol will join the fight against the growing trade in Africa in fake drugs for tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS which threatens the lives of thousands, a senior official said Tuesday. The agency's efforts will begin later this year and will build on its success in tackling the problem in Latin America and…
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