Former Pro Cyclist Pleads Guilty Misbranded/Non FDA Approved Drug Importation

Nicholas Brandt-Sorenson, a professional cyclist who was suspended from racing for 2 years after testing positive for banned substances, has now pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges he illegally imported Chinese-made drugs for resale through his website. The Los Angeles Times reports that disgraced professional cyclist Nicholas Brandt-Sorenson, has admitted that he purchased foreign-produced performance-enhancing drugs,…

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Pakistani Head of Counterfeit Drug Importer Extradited and Indicted in U.S. Court

Junaid Qadir of Karachi, Pakistan, was originally indicted in 2012. A superseding indictment was obtained June 25, 2015. He was arrested last spring after he traveled from Pakistan to Germany. Qadir fought extradition, but lost and appeared in federal court on Jan. 25, 2016. Qadir and his brother, Shehzad, who is not in custody, are…

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PSM Board President Dr. Marv Shepherd Explains the Dangers of Drug Importation

Dr. Shepherd was interviewed on a local Austin radio station and described for listeners the realities of the counterfeit medication economy, and the dangers U.S. citizens face from imported medication. After William Scully, owner of the unlicensed pharmaceutical importer Medical Device King/Pharmalogical, was convicted on charges relating to his drug importation business, Bill Swail, host…

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Illinois’ experience with iSaveRX, 2004–2009

Between 2004 and 2009 a number of states experimented with drug importation from countries that supposedly had online pharmacies offering cheaper medications. Illinois was a leader in this area, spending significant state resources marketing and promoting the program while working with Ram Kamath, who later became Director of Pharmacy Policy and International Verifications at PharmacyChecker. The…

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Florida Oncologist Charged With Medicare Fraud and Buying Cancer Medication from Known Counterfeit Drug Seller

Dr. Anda Norbergs was the head doctor, owner, and operator of East Lake Oncology (ELO), a cancer treatment clinic located in Palm Harbor. Beginning at around June 2009, it is alleged that she began ordering drugs from foreign distributors, including CanadaDrugs subsidiary Quality Specialty Products (QSP). The drugs she purchased included drugs from foreign businesses…

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“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.

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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.

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To Import or Not To Import

That is the question that many of our lawmakers are asking. Senators Dorgan (D-ND), Snowe (R-ME), McCain (R-AZ) and Stabenow (D-MI) brought that question to the forefront when they introduced the “Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2009” (S. 525) in March. Currently waiting to be placed on the Senate calendar, the bill would allow for prescription drug importation.

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