World News
Counterfeit Prescription Drugs a Problem in Canada & Australia
The National Post reports that since October 2015, Health Canada has stopped almost 10,000 packages containing counterfeit prescription drugs at the Canadian border. New reports from a 2010 incident reveal that counterfeit drugs ended up in 260 pharmacies and four hospitals in Australia. Patients were protected by a thorough hospital pharmacist who noticed “it was grittier than normal.”
[...]Fake Altuzan Still Being Found in Other Countries
Counterfeit Altuzan, known as Avastin in the U.S., resurfaces in Cyprus and India four years after FDA reported U.S. doctors purchasing it.
[...]UK Study Finds Fake Online Pharmacies May Feed Antibiotic Resistance
A small-scale study in the United Kingdom has found that 75% of the assessed online pharmacies that offer drugs for sale in the UK are unregistered as legitimate pharmacies, and most offer antibiotics without a prescription. This finding could be a serious driver of microbial resistance. Obtaining Antibiotics Online from within the UK: a Cross-Sectional…
[...]Death of Ottawa Teens Blamed on Counterfeit Percocet Made with Fentanyl
Investigators confirm that pills found near Chloe Kotval’s body were fake Percocet containing a lethal dose of fentanyl. She is the youngest Canadian to be killed by fentanyl-laced fake medication, but hardly the first. Chloe Kotval, a 14 year old Ottawa high school student died on February 14, 2017 after taking a counterfeit pill laced…
[...]Mexican Hospitals Treated Children With Counterfeit Chemotherapy Drugs
An investigation into the corruption of former Governor Javier Duarte has uncovered allegations that children with cancer were treated in state-run hospitals in Veracruz with counterfeit chemotherapy medicines due to budget shortfalls and lack of resources caused by his administration. The BBC reports, that when tested, the counterfeit chemotherapy drugs came back as an inert…
[...]It’s Not Just the United States: Fake Diet Pills Are a Real Problem in the U.K.
The United Kingdom’s Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched an information and safety campaign concerning dangerous fake diet pills. The MHRA is asking U.K. residents to not take chances with lose-weight-fast promises with their “Dodgy Diet Pills” campaign, warning consumers that “fake or unlicensed medical products sold as slimming pills are untested,” and…
[...]Operation Pangea IX Shuts Down over 4,000 Fake Online Pharmacies
In its 9th year, the International Week of Action brought together enforcement organizations from 115 countries throughout the globe in an effort of eliminate the sales of counterfeit medication online. The 9th Interpol-led effort Operation Pangea just completed its efforts, according to a June 9th press release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). George…
[...]PSM India Initiative Brings Together Government, Industry and Health Care Stakeholders to Help Stop the Spread of Spurious Medicines
PSM India Initiative Brings Together Government, Industry and Health Care Stakeholders to Help Stop the Spread ofSpurious Medicines Organisation Hosts Second National Training Workshop on “Secured Medicines & Robust Pharmacovigilance MUMBAI (26 August 2013) – The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) India Initiative, a public health organisation dedicated to protecting consumers from spurious and not-of-standard…
[...]China Cracks Down on Counterfeit Drugs With the Help of the FDA
The internet is a wild west of unregulated pharmaceutical websites, but Chinese and US cooperation are working together to make the Internet safer for consumers.
China Daily reports that US Food and Drug Administration agents working in China collaborated with the China Food and Drug Administration to shutter 18 Chinese-language websites illegally offering counterfeit drugs and health food for sale in the United States.
[...]The Princess of Africa and Youssou N’Dour Produce Song to Raise Counterfeit Medicine Awareness
INTERPOL is using music to raise consumer awareness of the risks and prevalence of counterfeit medications in Africa. INTERPOL is launching a song, “Proud To Be,” by South African music star Yvonne Chaka Chaka featuring Youssou N’Dour on October 27, 2011 at the Hotel Hilton in Nairobi, Kenya. Chaka Chaka, known as the Princess of…
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