Posts Tagged ‘drug safety’
New Research Highlights Risks of Unlicensed Online Pharmacies
A new study
in the May 2013 Journal of Medical Internet Research illustrates just
how easy it is for fake online pharmacies to advertise via social media outlets
such as Facebook and Twitter.
Researcher Tim Mackey and co-author Dr. Bryan
Liang set up dummy, no-prescription-required pharmacy websites, then created
advertising for the dummy sites on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and
Google+. They found that in the 10
months that their fake ads were running, close to 3,000 unique visitors went to
the dummy sites in search of drugs that required no prescription. Surprisingly, though they had visits from all
over the globe, the highest percentage of web traffic to their fake sites (54%)
came from the United States.
Oklahoma Clinic Owners Sentenced in Misbranded Drugs Case
The Oklahoma Male Clinic offered treatment specifically tailored for men, but with little regard for patients’ health or medical history. The two owners of the clinic chain have now been sentenced to probation for selling misbranded drugs, and their business shuttered by Federal agents. On March 19, 2013 two men, Michael Schueter and Thomas…
[...]UPS Agrees to $40 Million Fine in Fake Online Pharmacy Case
United Parcel Service has agreed to pay a $40 million fine for their failure to stop fake online pharmacies from using their service. They have also agreed to implement safeguards in the shipping systems going forward to prevent drug counterfeiters from using UPS to ship their products.
On March 29, 2013, the US Department of Justice announced a non-prosecution agreement with United Parcel Service (UPS) in which UPS agrees to pay a fine of $40 million to the Federal government, and also implement compliance procedures to ensure they no longer ship illicit and counterfeit drugs for illegal online pharmacies, reports Fox Business.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), “UPS has cooperated fully with the investigation and has already taken steps to ensure that illegal Internet pharmacies can no longer use its services to ship drugs. These voluntary improvements will be strengthened by the compliance program UPS will implement as a condition of this NPA.”
[...]Mexican Senate Increases Penalties for Medicine Counterfeiters
The Mexican Senate voted on March 12 to increase penalties to counterfeit drug sellers to nine years in prison and fines of up to 3 million pesos.
The Senate approved an amendment to article 464 of The General Health Law to increase penalties with 90 votes in favor. Senate Health Committee President Maki Esther Ortiz Dominguez said, “Anyone who sells or offers for sale, trades, distributes or transports medicine, drugs, raw materials that are falsified, altered, contaminated or adulterated, either in stores or in any other place….will be subject to the same penalty,” reported The News.
[...]National Boards of Pharmacy Releases 2013 Report, 97% of Online Pharmacies Not Recommended
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has released their 5th annual report on Internet Drug Outlets. Published each year, it is a progress report for state and federal regulators that illustrates the state of online drug sales in the United States and the overwhelming dominance of fake online pharmacies in the global Internet marketplace.
As of March 4, 2011, NABP surveyed 10,275 internet pharmacies and found that 9,938 or 97% were classified as “Not Recommended”, meaning they did not comply with NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards, or state and federal laws.
[...]Avoid the Top 3 “Natural” Products That Threaten Your Heart
Before buying the next miracle cure for weight loss, joint pain, or intestinal distress, ask yourself, is it heart-smart to take a dietary supplement you know nothing about?
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the US for both men and women.
In the last few years, some truly unexpected drug compounds that cause heart ailments have turned up in herbal dietary supplements despite claims to be “safe and all natural.” To honor American Heart Month, take the pledge to guard your heart by being a smart shopper and only taking dietary supplements when you know the ingredients are safe.
Learn more about the top three herbal supplement ingredients that are neither natural nor herbal.
[...]Partnership for Safe Medicines India Rolls Out Drug Verification Project for Patients
On February 15, 2013 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, the Partnership for Safe Medicines India proposed an initiative “to study the extent of spurious and not-of-standard medicines in India and adopt policies to ensure safety and quality in the supply chain.”
An unprecedented pilot program supported by the PSM India will provide low-cost medicine evaluation for patients at accredited government approved laboratories. The goal of the pilot program is to “establish trust on the quality and existing regulatory standards between the manufacturers and the consumers,” said P. D. Sheth, VP, International Pharmaceutical Federation.
[...]Influenza Outbreaks Inspire Drug Counterfeiters to Exploit Anxious Populace
7,224 hospitalizations for laboratory-confirmed flu cases have occurred in the United States since October 1, 2012, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Weekly Flu Update. Additionally, a January 25th CDC news release reports that influenza infection rates have been running at least 2 percentage points above epidemic classification for the past three weeks. While the CDC and other public health entities are encouraging consumers to be vaccinated, drug counterfeiters look at the US flu epidemic as a cash-making opportunity, warns the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA’s February 1 consumer update warns “As the flu continues to make people sick—and even cause deaths—scammers are alive and well, promoting their fraudulent products to the unsuspecting public.”
[...]Update On Fake Avastin – FDA Warnings in 28 States, Six Prosecutions
On February 12, 2012, the FDA sent out a public warning that counterfeit versions of the injectable cancer medication Avastin, had been found in the US drug supply chain. Since that time, a second warning was issued on counterfeits of the Turkish version of Avastin, Altuzan had also been found in the US, five US citizens, including three doctors have been prosecuted for selling or purchasing misbranded cancer medication, and an additional 134 doctors in 28 states have been sent FDA warning letters concerning their dealings with the foreign supplier that was the source of the counterfeit Avastin.
In the last 12 months, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to 134 US doctors informing them that they may have purchased counterfeit cancer medication. They were warned about purchases of unapproved medications, including unapproved versions of the injectable cancer treatment, Avastin, from wholesale drug distributors operated by foreign suppliers outside US jurisdiction. Each letter sent explained that the foreign drug wholesaler the doctors did business with were the source of the counterfeit Avastin that had infiltrated US drug supplies.
The first warning letters were sent out February 10, 2012 to 19 doctors. In April, two sets of letters, one dated the 5 and the second dated the 23rd, were sent to an additional 59 doctors. On June 28th, 55 more doctors received warnings, bringing to current total to 134 doctors in 28 states. California leads the pack where 57 California doctors were warned by the FDA about counterfeit cancer drug purchases.
The current warnings about counterfeit versions of Avastin or Altuzan were issued on June 28th, 2012. The FDA letter states “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received information indicating that your medical practice purchased multiple medications from a foreign distributor named Clinical Care, Quality Specialty Products (QSP), Montana Healthcare Solutions, or Bridgewater Medical. Most, if not all, of the products sold and distributed by this distributor have not been approved by the FDA and may include counterfeit versions of Avastin or Altuzan.”
These most recent warnings were sent to doctors in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
[...]How Safe Are Your Osteoporosis Drugs? Where Did Your Doctor Buy Them?
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to 20 US doctors that they have possibly purchased unapproved medications, including unapproved versions of the osteoporosis treatments Prolia and Aclasta, from drug wholesalers owned by suppliers operated by foreign entities outside US jurisdiction. The medical practices were warned that the wholesalers are selling drugs that not approved for sale in the United States and that they may be counterfeit.
The current warning about unapproved versions of the osteoporosis treatments Prolia and Aclasta were issued on September 10, 2012. The FDA letter states “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received information indicating that your medical practice purchased multiple medications from a foreign distributor owned and operated by Canada Drugs, known as Montana Healthcare Solutions, Quality Specialty Products (QSP), A+ Health Supplies, QP Medical, Bridgewater Medical, Infusion Options, UK Pharmacy Services, or Clinical Care. Most, if not all, of the products sold and distributed by one of these distributors, including versions of Prolia and Aclasta, have not been approved by the FDA.”
[...]