News Coverage
The Partnership for Safe Medicines has been publishing information about the counterfeit drug problem around the world for more than a decade. With experts leading the organization and a committed and passionate set of writers and editors, our content is more in-depth than many other sources, which simply copy links to the news from other websites.
The most recent editorial in Stat advocating black market drug importation under the guise of “ordering prescription drugs abroad” overlooks many safety dangers. The most important oversight is in the characterization of the cost of medications. Over 80% of all medications dispensed in the U.S. are dispensed as generic, and generics as a whole are…
In a new program for North Carolina, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has set up a public awareness campaign for her state that allows North Carolinians to check whether the online pharmacy they want to purchase from is genuine, the News & Observer reports. Dubbed “Verify Before you Buy,” the new program aims to protect…
On June 1, 2017, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), which represents 64,000 pharmacy professionals, and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), which represents more than 100 national and regional pharmacy chains, sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him not to support legislation that would allow broad personal and commercial importation of non-FDA approved prescription drugs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 75 million people, 1 of 3 U.S. adults, have high blood pressure and only 54% of these people have their high blood pressure under control. It is not surprising that lisinopril, the generic version of Prinivil that treats high blood pressure and heart failure, was the third…
A San Francisco area news station, NBC Bay Area conducted a survey of Bay Area counties and found at least 130 fentanyl-related deaths since 2015. NBC Bay Area spoke to John Martin, special agent in charge for the drug agency’s San Francisco division. Special Agent Martin told them “What we’ve seen here in Northern California…
A review of the client database recovered during a recent raid at a call center in Bengaluru, India has shown that the U.S. is a major market for illegal online prescription drug sales. According to the Times of India, the April 19, 2017 bust produced evidence of the call center selling drugs and prescription pharmaceuticals…
This editorial by Scott Bertani was published in the Washington Herald on May 7, 2017. Mr. Bertani is the Director of Policy and Community Relations for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Western Washington.
This editorial by Derek Arnson appeared in the Washington Examiner on May 8, 2017. Mr. Arnson is the former Chief of Police in Nogales, Arizona.
This editorial by Wayne Winegarden, Ph.D. appeared in Forbes on April 27, 2017. Dr. Winegarden is the Managing Editor for EconoSTATS and a senior Fellow in Business and Economics at the Pacific Research Institute.
his editorial by Leona Aglukkaq appeared in the Washington Post on May 12, 2017. Leona Aglukkaq was a member of Canadian House of Commons representing the riding of Nunavut until 2015. She previously served as Canada’s minister of health from 2008-2013.
Ellen L. Carmichael’s editorial appeared in The Hayride on May 5, 2017. Carmichael formerly served as press secretary to now-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D. She is currently president of The Lafayette Company.
Ali Schroer wrote this editorial for the Washington Examiner on May 10, 2017.
Like millions of Americans, I take allergy medicine. A few years ago, my doctor urged me to bid farewell to my local pharmacy and instead buy my medication from an online Canadian drug store, where it was cheaper. What terrible advice! The website was counterfeit and sent me “medicine” that was anything but — causing me to get severely sick . . .
In an editorial published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Louis J. Freeh, former director of the FBI and former federal judge, warns that allowing American citizens to purchase medicine from foreign countries puts them at risk from counterfeit drugs, would incentive criminal organizations to make counterfeit drugs, and places more stress on law enforcement efforts to combat the issue.
George Karavetsos, former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations wrote this editorial for the Miami Herald on May 6, 2017.
On May 9th, the board of the Partnership for Safe Medicines sent the following letter to all members of the U.S. Senate. Dear Senator, The Partnership for Safe Medicines has dutifully studied the problem of counterfeit drugs in America for over a decade. We have examined court transcripts of prosecutions of counterfeiters, watched scientists test counterfeits…
A Greensboro, North Carolina news station, WFMY News2, is warning viewers that the Internet is filled with fake online pharmacies that sell counterfeit drugs. In the television segment accompanying the story, WFMY shared surveillance images of a suspected drop-shipper posting up to 80 packages of counterfeit medications a day. The U.S. Postal Inspector WFMY spoke…
Narinder Kaulder, head of Operations for River East, a company named in the Canada Drugs indictment, is currently fighting extradition from England on charges he was part of the conspiracy that sold counterfeit cancer medication to U.S. oncology clinics in 2012, the Daily Mail reports. According to the CanadaDrugs Indictment, lot number B6011 of Avastin that…
The Morning Consult recently published an op-ed by Libby Baney, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP Global), a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the growing public health threat of illegal online pharmacies. In the piece, Ms. Baney stated that drug importation proposals are not a safe or effective way to address the rising cost of prescription drugs . . .
Ronald Piervincenzi, CEO of the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention describes the dangerous flaws in any plan to open up U.S. borders to wholesale prescription medication importation from Canada.
The Washington Examiner recently ran an op-ed by Charlie Cichon, the Executive Director of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. In it he explained how the opioid crisis will only be made worse if the U.S. allows drug importation.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board (NLPB), which governs and regulates all pharmacies operating in their Canadian province, has written a letter to the U.S. Congress, which bluntly states, “the importation of medicines from Canada is not the solution.”
Canadian pharmaceutical importer Quantum Solutions and its officers have been charged with two felony counts by the DOJ. Quantum Solutions runs a dozen different pharmacy websites, including Canada Drug Center. Dr. Kenneth McCall, of the University of New England, tested prescriptions from Canada Drug Center in 2014, and found they were substandard and contaminated. Three…
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPM), the regulatory authority in the Canadian province of Manitoba that oversees safe pharmacy practice, wrote to the United States Congress requesting that they reject the current importation bill.
University of Maryland professor Robert Freeman warns that proposed changes in U.S. laws and regulations to make the movement of drugs from other countries easier will increase fentanyl deaths in the U.S. In an editorial in The Hill, Dr. Freeman warns that the opioid abuse problem affects a greater proportion of the Canadian population…
Former Federal Regulators, Law Enforcement Officials Dispute Rhetoric on Drug Importation Merits, Highlight the Serious Harm Posed to Patient Health Washington, D.C. — In one of the strongest challenges to drug importation proposals to date, several former federal law enforcement officials and public health experts warned of serious consequences in opening up the U.S. drug supply…
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…
Richard Baum, acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, warned the House Energy and Commerce Committee that “illicit fentanyl is an urgent public health threat,” in a letter dated Wednesday, March 29, reports the Wall Street Journal. Baum’s letter cites the tripling of the death rate due to fentanyl…
More than half of law enforcement officials surveyed believe drug importation would increase the flow of counterfeit medications into the United States. Six in ten pharmacists believe drug importation would increase rates of drug abuse across the country. For Immediate Release March 30, 2017 Washington, D.C. – A new national poll of pharmacists and law…
Patients may not understand that generic medication is therapeutically equivalent to brand name medication. Generics offer a affordable and safe option that all patients should discuss with their pharmacist. Additionally, there are prescription assistance programs available to help those who are struggling to pay for the medications they need. According to WBRC, if you have…
All the proposals by politicians to allow drug importation have overlooked something huge: most FDA-approved generics are just as affordable or cheaper in the U.S. as they are in Canada. We called several brick-and-mortar Canadian pharmacies asking about prices and found that a 30-day prescription of 10 mg tablets of the generic version of Crestor…
On March 22, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), which represents 64,000 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students and other pharmacy professionals wrote a letter to Congress opposing plans to legalize importation of non-FDA approved drugs. These proposals, they wrote, are “in direct conflict with recent efforts by Congress and federal agencies to increase the integrity and security of the U.S. drug supply.”
The Washington Post reports that the four most recent FDA commissioners have warned Congress that American patients will suffer if they import drugs from other countries, citing fake, substandard and contaminated drugs as potential consequences.
Mike Leavitt | March 20, 2017 With the issue of prescription drug importation being debated on Capitol Hill again, mark me in the skeptical camp. As a matter of safety and practical policymaking, drug importation simply doesn’t work. It is not by happenstance that our country has the world’s safest drug supply. Counterfeit medicines are proliferating…
On Tuesday, February 28, Allan Coukell, Senior Director of Health Programs for the Pew Charitable Trusts, wrote Senator Bernie Sanders to ask that he not undermine safety protections for medication with the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act.
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…
Americans have been talking about saving money on medicine by importing drugs from Canada for years and circulating price comparison tables to prove their point. In the past few days, this graphic has been making the rounds; The Partnership for Safe Medicines staff wondered whether these prices were accurate, and so we checked them by…
For years, if you suffered from severe allergies, EpiPen was the best-known option to prevent anaphylaxis. Mylan, the manufacturer of EpiPen, released a generic alternative in December 2016, however, there is an even more affordable option on the market. As reported by Consumer Reports, Adrenaclick had long been a cheaper alternative to the EpiPen, but…
Coalition Calls on Congress to Maintain Safe Access to Medicines For Immediate Release February 28, 2017 Washington, D.C. – The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) today sent a letter signed by nearly 170 groups to all members of Congress urging them to continue protecting Americans and stand against efforts that would allow substandard and even dangerous…
David Beckford was one of 5 California residents charged in a scheme to produce and sell fake Xanax from bulk medication imported from China. A Northern California Federal Court has sentenced Oakland resident David Beckford to ten years in prison after his guilty plea on counterfeit drug, money laundering, and weapons charges, The Department of…
NYC Couple Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Distribute and Dispense Fake Cosmetic Injectable
Brooklyn, New York residents Bu Young Kim and Chan Hui Cho pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to dispense and administer cosmetic drugs and treatment without being a licensed medical professional, import of misbranded drugs and attempting to smuggle $79,986 from the United States to South Korea. According to the United States Department of…
A clandestine fake drug factory in Colombia washes empty medication bottles before filling them with counterfeit Tazocin, a prescription antibiotic. Photo courtesy of Pfizer. On February 10th, 2017, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies wrote a letter to the U.S. Congress about the risks associated with Canadian online pharmacies. The letter, below in text…
Juan Gallinal, a former Virginia police officer, acted as the head of a Florida conspiracy that used a valid brick-and-mortar pharmacy as a cover for series of fake pharmacy websites that sold misbranded and addictive drugs. The owner of a fake online pharmacy business in Florida has been sentenced to eight years in prison, the…
The Justice Department, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are concerned about Americans illegally purchasing prescription medicines from foreign sources. According to News Channel 10, investigations are underway to protect Americans from these potentially dangerous substances. The Justice Department has been looking at the data and as…
Arizona resident Betty Hunter died of lung cancer, but how much longer would she have lived if her oncologist had not treated her with counterfeit Avastin? A recent Danish documentary tells the tragic story of Arizona grandmother Betty Hunter, who in 2011 sought treatment for her lung cancer at an oncology clinic in Chandler Arizona.…
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…
Since 2012, the FDA has issued warnings to more than 3,000 doctors, clinics and hospitals about eight different breaches in the U.S. drug supply chain by rogue distributors such as Richards Pharma, Canada Drugs, Medical Device King, Gallant Pharmaceuticals, and TC Medical. These rogue distributors offered 63 different non-FDA approved medicines. Have you or has someone you know taken medicine that these smugglers have sold?
The two men acted as U.S. distributors for a series of Thailand-based fake online pharmacy websites that sold imported and non-FDA approved medication to U.S. consumers. Troy Tapia and Anthony Rouse III of Louisiana have each been sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering,…
In 2016 alone, over 1,400 practitioners were warned by the FDA that their supplier was selling unapproved so-called “Botox.” With more than 2,400 professionals warned in the past 5 years, the expansion of use for this medication provides new markets for counterfeiters selling fake and misbranded drugs. Botulinum neurotoxin, or Botox as it is known,…
January 5, 2017 Dear Senators and Representatives, In December of 2015 we released the attached letter warning Congress of the dangers to American patients from counterfeit drugs brought into America through “importation” proposals. As you consider the budget this year, we wanted to bring to your attention several recent tragic events that show the negative…
Defendants allegedly purchased expired or close-to-expired gastric lap-band surgery kits on the Internet, disguised them as new, and then re-sold them to local physicians. Florida residents Peter Kakfa and Gregory Grimm are being accused of running an expired/misbranded gastric bypass banding system scam via their employer Apollo Endosurgery, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reports. According…
Authorities in San Juan are making a public appeal to find more victims of “Rosa from Venezuela.” A federal court in San Juan, Puerto Rico has brought charges of injecting adulterated products into at least 2 different women against Rosa Betancourt-Farfán, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports. Betancourt-Farfán is alleged to have posed as…
Pair that were arrested in London in October 2012 for operating a fake online pharmacy that sold to U.S. consumers plead guilty and are sentenced. Pakistani fake online pharmacy entrepreneurs Sheikh Waseem Ul Haq and Tahir Saeed have been sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to 48 counts, including “conspiracy to import Schedule II,…
Dr. Magdy Elsawy has admitted to no wrongdoing in his settlement, however it was originally alleged he provided non-FDA approved cancer medications to his patients, defrauded Medicare, and provided treatments to patients that were more complex than needed or entirely medically unneeded. North Iowa Today is reporting that the owner and lead physician at Hematology…
Dr. Diana Anda Norbergs was convicted by a Federal Grand Jury on 45 counts related to her multi-year practice of treating her oncology patients with imported, non-FDA approved cancer medications, and then billing Medicare, public, and private insurers for the full cost of the genuine treatments. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is reporting that…
California nurse who provided Botox treatments to the stars of Real Housewives of Orange County has pleaded guilty to charges she treated her patients with non-FDA approved Botox. Her original supplier of the misbranded Botox was SB Medical, an illicit Canadian medication importer that paid $75 million in fines and Penalties in 2015 for illegally…
Indicted in absentia in 2012, Junaid Qadir, part owner of a clandestine medication importer based in Pakistan has finally been forced to face U.S. justice. Junaid Qadir, a principal in a family-owned pharmaceutical business in Karachi, Pakistan, has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for his role in the illegal importation and sale of…
Rooting out fake online pharmacy links from University websites is an endless game of whack-a-mole for University network security officers. Ephemeral pharmacy web links appear and disappear constantly on major university websites. Inspired by one of their news gathering partners, Fox 59 News in Indianapolis, Indiana did a bit of checking with the help of…
With the costs of medication rising, consumers are on the lookout for discounts on the drugs they need. PSM’s Timothy Mackey offered CNN some helpful tips on how to ensure the online pharmacy you are doing business with is a legitimate source of medication. From generic drugs to prescription drug coupons and prescription assistance programs,…
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…
Dr. Paul S. Singh is currently serving one year of home detention after pleading guilty to charges that he deceived his patients and defrauded Medicare by implanting his patients with non-FDA approved IUDs purchased on the Internet. Earlier this year, a Southern California gynecologist, Dr. Paul S. Singh was sentenced to 6 months in prison,…
South Carolina medical practice prosecuted for buying non-FDA approved injectable cosmetic treatments. A medical practice in Greenville, South Carolina has been sentenced to 3 years of federal probation for treating patients with non-FDA approved Botox, a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release reported on the occasion of the sentencing. According to the DOJ, “Records obtained…
As the price of Mylan EpiPens have skyrocketed, Consumer Reports and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies caution consumers to save money safely by taking advantage of available discounts, and steering clear of fake online pharmacies. Consumer Reports has reached out to consumers in light of recent cost hikes for life-saving EpiPens. According to…
The director of The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) warns consumers about counterfeit medication. George Karavetsos, the director of FDA-OCI, discussed patient risks from counterfeit medication in a recent episode of the daytime TV show, “The Doctors,” and shared a short film called FDA Supplement Truth that illustrates the dangers posed…
When Prince Rogers Nelson died in April, it was reported that he died of an apparent overdose of opiates, which he had used to combat chronic hip pain. Now a new report from Minneapolis indicates he died as a result of taking counterfeit hydrocodone containing deadly fentanyl. Prince Rogers Nelson, an American musician and performer,…
Karen Chamberlain faces up to a year in prison on charges she purchased cancer drugs from clandestine medical importer, Quality Specialty Products (QSP). A 62-year old medical office manager in Tennessee is facing up to a year in prison after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges that she imported non-FDA approved cancer medications for the clinic…
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy also examines the role that fake online pharmacies are playing in distributing counterfeit pain pills laced with fentanyl. A new report from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has just been released. Titled “The Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators:…
As counterfeit pills containing various fentanyl analogues are killing people all over the United States, the DEA takes a measure of this deadly and growing counterfeit drug epidemic. The recent arrival of large amounts of “counterfeit prescription drugs containing fentanyls” is causing an explosive growth in overdose deaths in the United States, according to a…
In an article written by Next Avenue’s Emily Gurnon, Partnership for Safe Medicines board member Jim Dahl explains why shopping at unlicensed online pharmacies is anything but harmless to U.S. consumers. While patients might be lured to unlicensed pharmacy website with the promise of savings, a counterfeit drug that doesn’t help your health is no…
Although 5 doctors in Connecticut and 256 doctors nationwide have received FDA warning letters concerning purchases of non-FDA approved medication from the now-defunct medicine wholesaler Gallant Pharma International, no state medical boards have investigated any of their practices. Now Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is calling for the FDA to provide these names to state…
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. For Immediate Release July 1, 2016 Contact Consumers Dream Body Weight Loss websales@dreambodyweightloss.com (888)882-7612 Grand Prairie,…
Update: On December 13, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated William Scully’s conviction because a lower court “declined to allow Scully to introduce evidence at his 2015 trial showing he sought legal advice about importing drugs with foreign labels from one of his lawyers.” Ultimately Scully pleaded guilty to one charge of…
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…
Dr. Mimlitz specialized in treating men who complained of a lack of energy. His treatments were actually unapproved drugs from South Korea purchased from Mexico via Internet sources. A Saint Louis medical doctor, Dr. Michael Mimlitz, has pleaded guilty to charges of introducing misbranded drugs into Interstate commerce, according to his waiver of indictment. According…
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. Company Announcement When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. For Immediate Release: June 7, 2016 Contact Consumers: thebodyshotbarinfo@yahoo.com, (910)-849-3348 Media: Tiffany Braswell (910)-849-3348 The Body Shot Bar is…
Creator of the “Mineral Miracle Solution” sentenced to prison for peddling a compound not fit for human consumption. Some of his followers still advocate its use, however. In 2015, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Louis Daniel Smith had been sentenced to 4 years and 3 months in prison for creating and marketing a…
Bust by Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department is the second time the same Saint Paul southeast Asian market has been raided. In 2013, seven vendors were charged for selling non-FDA approved medication. A recent raid at a Hmong night market in Minnesota has turned up pills, needles, syringes and expired medication, according to a report in…
Venezuelan man posed as a doctor at a Florida esthetician clinic, and injected victim with non-FDA approved substance, which triggered her death. The case is similar to the rash of cases that have recently been uncovered in Texas. Jose Robusto, a Venezuelan sought in the aesthetic treatment death of 28 year old Suyima Torres, has…
Website visitors now see a seizure banner displaying in place of the fake drug advertisements The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that 67 different domain names for commercial websites “engaged in the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit and prescription drugs” have had seizure orders executed against them by U.S. Immigration and Customs…
Cancer doctor working in Lodi, California and his wife, who acted as his office administrator admit no wrongdoing, but pay Federal Government $300,000 to settle allegations that they treated patients with counterfeit, imported cancer medication. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced May 9th that Dr. John F. Kiraly and wife Rena Kiraly have agreed…
Counterfeiting of drugs has exploded since we last had a serious debate about the importation of branded drugs. In just one year, 2013, the Pharmaceutical Security Institute reports that worldwide incidents of pharmaceutical crime rose almost 9%. During one week in 2013, the FDA, in partnership with Interpol, seized $41 million worth of illegal or counterfeit medicines, and shut down over 1,600 illegal online pharmacies. Mexico is a major global source of those fake drugs. Its illicit trade stands at an estimated $650 million per year–equal to 10% of its total drug sales.
NBC news show examines the clandestine business of administering non-FDA approved beauty treatments. In the new episode of American Greed, titled “Vanity and Greed: Deadly Beauty”, the NBC show looks at the story of two convicted practitioners of counterfeit beauty treatments. Mississippi resident Tracey Lynn Garner was found guilty of murder in the death of…
Dr. Ann Kinnealey can no longer practice medicine in Illinois after a hearing by the Illinois State Medical Board determined that she purchased misbranded cancer medication from foreign supplier, Quality Specialty Products (QSP). QSP was a wholesale subsidiary of Canadian Internet Pharmacy giant, CanadaDrugs. Dr. Kinnealey had her 2 medical licenses suspended on April 21…
Though their medication it sold was neither FDA-approved nor legally imported, Gallant Pharma was able to pass itself off as a legitimate pharmaceutical supplier simply by basing their operation in a Washington D. C. suburb, and claiming their drugs were sourced from Canada. When the Department of Justice (DOJ) originally announced the indictment of 11…
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. [Posted 04/01/2016] AUDIENCE: Surgery, OB/GYN, Risk Manager ISSUE: The FDA is aware of allegations that Boston Scientific’s urogynecologic surgical mesh may contain counterfeit raw material. We are examining these allegations to determine any necessary and appropriate next steps. FDA is not currently aware that the alleged counterfeit…
Darlene Krueger and her co-conspirators sold Chinese-made, “all-natural” weight loss supplements via website and mail order sales. Operating out of Louisiana and Florida, Krueger repackaged and sold bulk illicit medications containing the banned weight-loss drug sibutramine, which she then passed off as herbal supplements to her unsuspecting customers. On March 23, 2016, The Food and…
A 37-year-old mother is dead after taking what she thought was the anti-anxiety medication Xanax. Her family is asking authorities to investigate her death. In January 2016, Misty Burnett took pills that she thought were Xanax, reports News Channel 5. Shortly thereafter Misty’s 18-year-old daughter discovered her mother dead. Alicia Allred, the girl’s aunt told…
A 19-year-old boy and a 29-year-old man in Santa Cruz are both dead after ingesting a fatal dose of fentanyl hidden in fake Xanax pills. A 22-year-old man is facing charges that he supplied the fatal fakes. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that on October 24th, 2015, two young men at a party took what…
Late in 2015, a group of San Francisco friends took what they thought was the anti-anxiety medication, Xanax. Within 48 hours, three of them were dead due to overdoses of the powerful end-stage cancer painkiller, fentanyl. Three residents of San Francisco have died as a result of taking counterfeit Xanax, according to KRON4 local news…
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,…
The 2012 fake Avastin warnings were just the tip of the iceberg for what is now unfolding into one of the most convoluted counterfeit medication incidents that has ever been uncovered. The supply of fake cancer medication has been traced to Internet pharmacy giant CanadaDrugs and in the last year, 4 doctors have been prosecuted…
Texas authorities at both the regional and Federal level have combatting a rash of injuries and deaths caused by counterfeit cosmetic injections. From fake dermal fillers and other counterfeit versions of beauty treatments to industrial silicone injections sealed with superglue, these fake injectable cosmetic peddlers are putting the lives of Texas women at risk. The Dallas…
In 2014, Federal Prosecutors indicted 3 Texans on charges that they were importing counterfeit versions of prescription medications from China for resale in the United States. This month, the last of the 3 has been sentenced to 15 months in prison. On February 3, 2016, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Catherine Nix had…
After a 3-year effort to bring him to justice, Junaid Qadir has been indicted in Federal court on charges he illegally imported bulk counterfeit medications into the United States. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that a Karachi native has been extradited from Germany to face counterfeit drug charges in the United…
Robert Lohr sold the fakes via a fake pharmacy known as either “American Drug Club of Bradenton” or “Canadian American Drug Club.” Lohr made over $1 million selling his counterfeit medication to unsuspecting patients. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) reports that Bradenton, Florida resident Robert Lohr has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle…
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. Recall: Firm Press Release FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. For Immediate Release January 28, 2016…
A County officials warn public about the toxic threat that fake medications pose, and share a tragic story about a woman whose efforts to save money by using non-FDA approved treatments led to her death. An NBC News story shares the details of a counterfeit medication death in Los Angeles County. Esmeralda Mendez described for…
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Recall: Firm Press Release For Immediate Release January 20, 2016…
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. Recall: Firm Press Release FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. For Immediate Release December 22, 2015…
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. Recall: Firm Press Release FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. For Immediate Release December 23, 2015…
A new campaign by International Institute for Research Against Counterfeit Medicines (IRACM) aims to educate patients that anyone with access to the Internet can be exposed to counterfeit drugs via fake online pharmacies. Did you realize that of 331,430 websites monitored by Legitscript, a whopping 94.3% are selling pharmaceuticals illegally? The Wild West nature of…