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.
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…
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 9, 2015…
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 …
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who has made significant contributions to state-based efforts to protect Americans from counterfeit products, offered an attorney general’s perspective on working collaboratively with Federal agencies to fight counterfeit medicines.
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. December 3, 2015 Contact Consumers Julio Tapia (718) 415-2611…
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…
During PSM’s 2014 Interchange, Howard Sklamberg, the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Global Regulatory Operations and Policy gave an overview of the FDA’s work in protecting the safe drug supply chain and of legislation enacted in 2012 and 2013.
Recently, conversations and debate about drug importation has reached a fever pitch. Partnership For Safe Medicines’ many coalition members want Congress to know about our concerns for the safety of American patients. The secure American drug supply chain protects American consumers from dangerous counterfeit, substandard and unsafe medicines. Any effort designed to bypass FDA controls…
As a coalition whose outreach and operations involve educating health care workers and patients in all fifty states, and whose membership is comprised of more than 60 organizations committed to the safety of prescription drugs and protecting U.S. consumers against counterfeit, substandard or otherwise unsafe medicines, we are deeply concerned that importation proposals will undermine America’s existing and proposed drug safety protocols.
Hear Senior Science Advisor Eric Sampson talk about the CDC Foundation’s plans to study the impact of counterfeit drugs and educate the public health community about the black market.
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…
At the 2014 Interchange, New spoke about the risk that drug diversion poses to patients who may be treated with painkillers that have been contaminated by addicts, and about the scale of drug diversion in hospitals in the United States.
Ever wonder about what’s behind the news for counterfeit drug crime? The Rogues Gallery Comic Book Series tells the real-life stories of fake drug criminals and their cases.
The Partnership for Safe Medicines released the following statement regarding the verdict of William Scully for operating an illegitimate drug supply company called Pharmalogical Inc., which conducts business as Medical Device King. The defendant sold more than $14 million worth of illegal products including misbranded cancer medicine, unapproved birth control devices, and other medical products…
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…
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. For Immediate Release November 9, 2015 Contact Consumers …
“Canadadrugs.com and their co-conspirators are charged with shipping $78 million of counterfeit and unapproved medicines to unsuspecting patients across the United States,” said Thomas Kubic, PSM board member and former FBI Deputy Assistant Director who spent 30 years at our nation’s top law enforcement agency. “Yet to this day and since 2002, Canadadrugs.com has been listed as an “approved” and “safe” online pharmacy by a leading U.S. firm whose business model involves helping Americans unknowingly break the law and put their welfare at risk.
At PSM’s 2014 Interchange, Jim Dahl, a 30 year veteran of Federal law enforcement, spoke about the scale of the counterfeit drug problem in the United States and how much risk Americans should be willing to accept.
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…
Prescription medication can be expensive, but there are safe systems in place to help Americans buy reliable medications at lower prices. Saving at the Doctor’s Office Lower cost medications can start at the doctor’s office. Generic medications are typically just as effective as their namebrand alternatives and they can save patients substantial money. If a…
By February of 2015 the law had been thrown out, but only after the President of the Maine Pharmacy Association experienced first hand what patients can be exposed to when buying drugs from a Canadian online pharmacy. On June 27, 2013, the Maine Legislature passed LD 171, the Act to Facilitate Personal Importation of Prescription…
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…
The Partnership for Safe Medicines released the following statement on the sentencing of Daniel Sanchez for his role in an illegal online counterfeit medicines scheme based in Pittsburgh and Houston: “Drug counterfeiters take advantage of our vulnerable citizens on a daily basis, and have grown globally into a multibillion dollar industry,” said PSM President Marv Shepherd. “This…
The FDA has been prosecuting doctors and unlicensed drug distributors for importing non-FDA approved cancer drugs. Some of those drugs have been counterfeits. Learn more about how to detect counterfeit medication by reading our 8-Step Checklist For Medicine Safety and about recent counterfeit cancer drug prosecutions by reading PSM’s Black Market Cancer Drug Cases, 2007-2013.
Aren’t Canadian medicines ordered online as safe as ours? Well, no. Buying medicines from online pharmacies that claim to be selling Canadian drugs is dangerous.
Ram Kamath has had a single charge of smuggling dropped and is now cooperating with the authorities. Kamath was one of 14 people charged in the case USA vs. CanadaDrugs. Kamath had been accused of participating in the international drug smuggling conspiracy allegedly perpetrated by CanadaDrugs.
Dr. Mohamad Ayman Ghraowi has filed suit against Canada Drugs subsidiaries Montana Healthcare Solutions and Rockeley Ventures, for supplying his practice with counterfeit cancer medication, the Courthouse News Service (CNS) reports.
A change to current laws allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to destroy misbranded medications blocked from entering the United States. Prior to this, the FDA was forced to return such drugs to the shipper.
A Missouri doctor was sentenced for misbranded drugs charges and his Patterson Medical Clinic was sentenced for false statements charges on September 2nd, 2015 related to the purchases of non-FDA approved osteoporosis treatments. Both the doctor and his clinic face 3 years probation.
Medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) comprehensive drug approval process are considered the safest in the world. The U.S.’s closed distribution system keeps medicine counterfeiters and fakers out of pharmacies and away from patients. Medicines in countries without the systemic oversight of an agency like the FDA suffer from pervasive counterfeit…
Michigan pharmacy owner and 18 of his employees face jail time for conspiracies that provided misbranded, returned, and out-of-date pharmaceuticals to nursing homes and adult foster care homes throughout the state.
A Canadian pharmaceutical company and their drop-shipper were fined $45 million, as well as forfeiting $30 million for smuggling Non-FDA approved medications into the U.S. 5 men from Canada and the United States have also pleaded guilty to a multi-year conspiracy to ship misbranded and non-FDA approved pharmaceuticals to U.S. Clinics and Doctors’ Offices.
Securing Industry reports that a new anti-counterfeiting product focused on consumers has been launched to help patients verify the authenticity of their medications. The product, Check My Meds, is a cell phone application that scans two dimensional barcodes on medicine packages to verify their origin in conjunction with new FDA policy. The U.S. Food and…
The CanadaDrugs indictment lists Narinder Kaulder as the head of operations for a U.K. drug wholesaler called River East Supplies, LTD. River East was a subsidiary through which CanadaDrugs conducted its sales. The indictment alleges that “in order to ensure that the illegal shipments of clinical drugs were allowed into the United States without increased scrutiny from the FDA and United States Customs, River East systematically falsified customs declarations that accompanied illegal drug shipments.”
Interchange 2014 was fortunate enough to have Madame LiHong Gu, director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines China join us and share her work. Madame Gu began her brief description of PSM China by pointing out that “China is another large country with 1.3 billion people. They all need safe medicines.” She told the conference…
The public service announcement from the Partnership for Safe Medicines Don’t Buy Drugs Made in a Dirty Lab! conjures images of the sort of filthy environs in which fake drugs are produced. PSM board member Tom Kubic notes “those online Canadian pharmacies don’t sell real drugs.” Find out more about what fake online pharmacies are…
The head of Partnership for Safe Medicines India shared with the conference what PSM India has done, and what its goals are. Bejon Misra, head of PSM India, took a few minutes to tell conference-goers about his organization. He pointed out that he was “here on behalf of 1.2 billion consumers, and more than 10,000…
Ram Kamath, who was listed as PharmacyChecker.com’s Director of Pharmacy Policy and International Verifications as of March 16, 2015, is one of eight people indicted by the US Justice Department for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to distribute $78 million worth of non FDA approved and counterfeit cancer medications into U.S. doctors’ offices.
Blast-faxes sent to doctors’ offices are the subject of the latest public service announcement from the Partnership for Safe Medicines In Have You Gotten a Blast Fax Offering Cheap Medication? PSM board member Dr. Marv Shepherd warns physicians to be wary of too-good-to-be-true medications prices in blast-fax offerings.
NBC news show examines the clandestine business of administering non-FDA approved beauty treatments. 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 Karima…
The United States has been experiencing an uptick in the number of patients being treated with fake and misbranded injectable cosmetic treatments. Learn more about these cases, which are one of the most common ways Americans are exposed to dangerous counterfeit medications. In June 2014, Elva Navarro, a spa owner in McAllen, Texas, pleaded guilty…
While participating in an Interchange 2014 panel discussion on criminal prosecutions for drug counterfeiting and drug diversion, Jaime Peña, Assistant U.S. Attorney/Senior Litigation Chief, Criminal Division, Colorado District, U.S. Department of Justice, tells a disturbing story of hospital-based drug diversion. Panel 2 at Interchange 2014, was titled “Patient Safety and Criminal Prosecutions in the U.S.”…
The latest in public service announcements from Partnership for Safe Medicines tells the story of what happens to doctors who make the mistake of purchasing substandard medication. PSM board member Jim Dahl advises physicians Don’t Destroy Your Medical Practice with Fake Drugs.
The second panel of the day at Interchange 2014, titled “Patient Safety and Criminal Prosecutions in the U.S.” featured federal prosecutors who provided insights into their recent counterfeit and misbranded drug prosecutions. AUSA Lindsay Kelly told the Interchange 2014 audience how Gallant Pharma operated. “Their competitors were the other illegal companies. They [Gallant Pharma] were trying to distinguish themselves in that market by saying ‘we actually have offices here, we can give you everything overnight delivery,’ and they had a sales force that actually set out recruiting doctors as patients, just like the legitimate pharmaceutical companies.”
In another public service announcement from Partnership for Safe Medicines warns of the dangers lurking for sale at fake online pharmacy websites. In Super Cheap Canadian Pharmacy, PSM board member Tom Kubic of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute cautions against buying medication from “a Canadian online pharmacy with cheaper prices,”
The Partnership for Safe Medicines is pleased to announce that the organization has been honored with an Excellence Award for outstanding work in the area of nonprofit communications. The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts gave The Partnership for Safe Medicines the 2015 Communicator Award of Excellence in the category of nonprofit magazine publication.…
Fake Oxycontin pills actually made with fentanyl responsible for more than 50 deaths in Alberta since the beginning of the year. OpSecSecurity is reporting that Canada is experiencing a dramatic increase in deaths due to the sale and ingestion of counterfeit versions of the painkiller oxycontin. According to OpSecSecurity, there have been three recent deaths…
Operation Pangea VIII Takes Action Against More Than 1,000 Purveyors of Fake Drugs & Medical Devices
During The 8th annual International Internet Week of Action (IIWA) led by Interpol, the FDA along with law enforcement from across the globe acted to eliminate the sale of counterfeit medications and medical devices on the Internet. As part of Operation Pangea, the FDA sent close to 400 warning letters to websites offering “unapproved or…
Since 2006, at least 86 individuals have been charged with the distribution of black market HIV/AIDS medications to American pharmacies, secondary wholesale distributors and patients. In the face of this threat, patients need the tools to identify questionable medicine and to seek better prices safely.
As we honor fathers all over the United States this Father’s Day, take a few minutes to understand the unique dangers men face from counterfeit medications. A quick glance at the National Crime Prevention Association page on counterfeit drugs will tell you that medications for high cholesterol, hypertension, antibiotics, ED, cancer, and HIV/AIDS are…
The Partnership for Safe Medicines has created a series of public service announcements to educate both patients and medical professionals about the dangers posed by fake medications. In Doctors! Protect Your Practice from Fake Drugs, PSM board member Tom Kubic of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute points out that “the physician is the last word on everything in the office, including medication purchases.”
In 2013, the G8 recognized the counterfeit medicine trade as a significant problem in their countries. Read PSM’s infographic to learn about their reporting on the issue.
After five amazing years of the PSM Interchange, we are doing what all good organizations do, and taking a year off to reflect on where we spend our resources and how well we're fulfilling our mission. This could mean new opportunities in global markets and/or a redesign of the event in the U.S. Announcements about our next conference will…
The National Crime Prevention Council has released a guide about how to find a safe online pharmacy and protect yourself from products that may be contaminated, counterfeit or not approved by the FDA.
Linda Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel for the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice, moderated Interchange 2014’s panel on criminal prosecutions and the patient safety issues that result from misbranded medication. In her opening remarks, she described the work the Department of Justice has done to combat counterfeit and misbranded drugs.
Doctors, medical office managers, and others responsible for medication purchasing need to know about the FDA’s “Know Your Source” campaign. With the help of a few simple pieces of advice from the agency responsible for guaranteeing medication safety, you can make sure that the prescription drugs in your office are FDA-approved. By sticking with state-licensed wholesale medication distributors you can safeguard the health of your patients and protect your practice from liability as well.
At the 2014 Interchange, PSM was pleased to have Philip Walsky, the Acting Director of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) speak about OCI’s efforts to respond to the challenge of fraudulent drug schemes.
In January 2015, George M. Karavetsos was appointed the new head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI). Previous to his appointment as Director of FDA-OCI, Mr. Karavetsos served as the executive assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant General Counsel in the FDA’s Office of the…
Don’t let counterfeit medications compromise your health or the health of loved ones. Download “The Top 9 Health Risks Women Face From Counterfeit Medicine.”
Every healthcare professional who purchases medication is familiar with faxes from persistent direct sales companies that inundate the office with daily price lists. Regardless of the supplier, purchasing or using non-FDA-approved drug products exposes the physician to criminal and civil liability. The medication doesn’t even have to be counterfeit for the physician to suffer legal consequences.
A pharmacist operating an online pharmacy in Washington DC has been indicted on fake online pharmacy charges, according to a press release from the FDA. In addition, a Florida-based doctor, has been charged with fulfilling prescriptions for said pharmacy for over 38,000 U.S. residents. Titilayo (Tomi) Akintomide Akinyoyenu, also known as Tommy Akin, was arrested…
The Canadian Department of Justice, along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have raided Kris Thorkleson’s Canada Drugs.com headquarters in Manitoba, the CBC reports. Speaking with the National Post, PSM Board member Jim Dahl expressed the opinion that the raids are a direct result of the ongoing investigation of counterfeit Avastin making it’s way…
Samantha Gompel, the Intellectual Property Rights Communications Manager at the World Customs Organization (WCO), described the WCO’s efforts to help its 179 members secure and protect supply chains throughout global trade.
When a drug counterfeiter makes fake medication, they do not go through dosage testing, quality control, or safety testing. The goal is to produce a product that looks like the real thing, with little concern for the actual ingredients. For this reason, all manner of toxic substances have made their way into counterfeit medication.
PSM board member Jim Dahl, the retired Assistant Director of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, spoke on our international panel about the Medicrime Convention, a new cross-European effort to address criminal issues involving medical products.
With the explosive growth of global medication counterfeiting crime rings, it is essential for policy makers across all disciplines to familiarize themselves with the counterfeit drug problem in the United States.
At PSM’s 2014 Interchange Gillian Buckley shared the Institute of Medicine’s Board on Global Health’s recommendations on how to stop the flow of fake medicines by supporting regulatory authorities and drug manufacturers in low to middle income countries.
Patients are always seeking ways to save money on medications and if they’re not careful they can open themselves up to dishonest vendors selling fake drugs. Learn how to save money safely.
At last year’s Interchange, we were pleased to have Tom Kubic, PSM’s treasurer and the president and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI), summarize trends in international drug counterfeiting activity and enforcement.
Learn how health care professionals can protect patients from counterfeit drugs by sourcing medicines safely.