Posts Tagged ‘counterfeit drugs’
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.
[...]West African Countries Inundated with Counterfeit Drugs
On July 15, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report detailing how West Africa has become an increasing target for counterfeit drugs. According to the report, as much as 50 to 60 percent of the medicines in this region of the world were found to contain “little or no active ingredients.” The report goes on to explain why these counterfeit drugs are a major public health threat in Africa.
[...]Counterfeit Drug Sentencing Less Than Adequate
After nearly two years under investigation, the final sentence for running an international multi-million pound counterfeit drug operation was issued in the United Kingdom. The first four convictions were made in September 2007 and on July 6, the final member of the operation received a 12 month sentence, suspended for two years, for masterminding an industrial scale conspiracy of supplying counterfeit drugs between 2002 and 2005. In total, the seven convicted members of this international counterfeit drug ring received a combined 17.5 years imprisonment—an average of 2.5 years for each participant—for their part in the U.K. distribution arm of a global ring operating from China, India and Pakistan, extending to the Caribbean and the United States.
[...]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!
[...]Inside the World of Counterfeit Drugs
Part 2: The European Repackaging Debate – Last week we witnessed the confusing practice of repackaging of prescription medicines within the European Union (EU) through the eyes of a fictitious Dutch patient picking up his blood pressure tablets at a city retail pharmacy. The patient’s experience is shared by millions of Europeans living in Germany, Great Britain, and Holland among other countries. Under current EU rules, medicines can be re-boxed or re-labeled after they leave the site of production, and tablets can be removed from their blisters and reconditioned. Counterfeiters can exploit this fact in order to sneak their fake goods past regulators. One of the prime sources of counterfeit medicines, which can enter the drug supply at the point of repackaging, is the Internet.
[...]Pfizer UK “RealDanger” campaign
In January 2009, Pfizer in the UK produced a pretty commercial to get people to pay attention to the dangers of counterfeit drugs. Visit their website at RealDanger.co.uk or click on the still image at right to see the video.
[...]Inside the World of Counterfeit Drugs
Part 1: Your critical role in safe medicines — In recent blog entries, the Partnership for Safe Medicines’ (PSM) experts have warned consumers and pharmacists of the dangers that counterfeit drugs pose, recapped legislation surrounding these issues and highlighting incidents of counterfeit drugs from across the world. However, this month we have invited guest blogger Gregory Zec to share his thoughts on some current drug safety issues. This week, Gregory uses a fictional consumer’s experiences (which he based on real patients’ stories) to explore the confusion many patients encounter from when they receive repackaged, imported prescription drugs from a legitimate pharmacy.
[...]Dangerous Assumptions Drawn From List of Permitted Countries
Periodically proposals are floated both in Washington, DC and state capitols that would allow Americans to import drugs from 32 “permitted” countries – Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the 27 members of the European Union. There is a perception that these countries have “safe” drug supplies insulated from the dangers that every other nation in the world.
[...]Tougher Penalties for Counterfeiters Under Consideration
On June 4, Rep. Steve J. Israel (D-NY) introduced the Counterfeit Enforcement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2726). This proposed legislation, which would amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, increases penalties for the sale of contraband or counterfeit drugs. If passed, this legislation brings to life many of the ideas that the Partnership for Safe Medicines advocates in the Principles for Drug Safety.
[...]Congress on the Right Road to Stop Drug Counterfeiters
Earlier this year, Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI 15), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ 06) and Bart Stupak (D-MI 01) introduced the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2009 (H.R.759). This legislation indicates that Congress is fbeginning an important journey to address several real threats that substandard and counterfeit drugs pose to the pharmaceutical supply chain.
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