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.
EDQM collects counterfeit drug cases that have impacted Europe into database termed KNOW-X, in an effort to assist investigators seeking to stem the tide of counterfeit medicines pouring into the European Union. The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM) has just announced their latest effort to combat counterfeit drugs entering the…
Royal Pharmaceutical Society and UK morning show Daybreak surveyed 2,500 UK pharmacists on fake online pharmacies. Results show counterfeit drugs and fake online pharmacies are a growing threat to patients in the United Kingdom as well as the United States. A 2013 survey of pharmacists in the United Kingdom found that UK patients are exposing…
The Wall Street Journal reports Ozay Pharmaceutical Co. in Istanbul as a source of counterfeit cancer medication that ended up in U.S. doctors’ offices. Two men who worked there, Ozkan Semizoglu and Sabahaddin Akman are currently charged with smuggling illicit cancer drugs into the United States. A Turkish drug exporter is at the center of…
iPolitics Investigates How Drug Counterfeiters Are Using Craigslist to Hawk Their Wares to Canadians
Annie Marie Oliver describes how the growing problem of counterfeit drugs being offered for sale on Craigslist is presenting serious challenges to Canadian law enforcement. A story in iPolitics is reporting that counterfeit drugs are easily available to Canadians via sellers on Craigslist. Titled “Craigslist: Increasingly, a marketplace for dodgy prescription drugs”, author Annie Marie…
The Partnership for Safe Medicines teamed up with The Doctors Company, the country's largest malpractice group, to educate doctors on this key issue at a time when prosecutions of physicians are increasing. Click here to read. If you can help us reach physicians, we would love to spread the word on this important issue to…
In Hidalgo, Texas, three different beauticians are accused of injecting patients with toxic, non-medical silicone or other liquid plastics instead of an FDA-approved dermal filler. In all, 30 patients report health issues, and at least one has died. On the 19th of the month, Elva Navarro, owner of Bella Face and Body Spa in McAllen,…
Download BlackMarketCancer_Long.pdf (881.4K) William Burdine, owner of Alvarado Medical Plaza Pharmacy in San Diego, had earlier pleaded guilty to charges he purchased injectable cancer medication from Quality Specialty Products (QSP) of Canada. QSP first came to the attention of Federal authorities when they were identified as a source of counterfeit Avastin. Alvarado Medical Plaza Pharmacy…
Investigators turn up over $2 million worth of counterfeit health and beauty products, including counterfeited cold medicines and painkillers. Nassau County prosecutors allege that two brothers, Pardeep Malik and Hamant Mullick ran a multi-state health and beauty product counterfeiting business, CNN reports. According to CNN, “Law enforcement authorities seized four tractor-trailers filled with knockoff health…
Photo Credit: CDC Fluview This year’s influenza epidemic has affected thousands. Over 2,700 influenza positive tests have been reported as of March 7th for the 2013-2014 season reports the CDC. As flu season slowly comes to a close, drug counterfeiters are still racing to market their fake flu cures, which will not cure influenza. Don’t…
Kamran Rezapour of Creston, North Carolina admitted that he knew the herbal supplements he sold contained pharmaceutical compounds not described in the ingredients. However he described them as “100% all natural” in his marketing materials. A Creston, North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to knowingly selling tainted natural supplements smuggled into the United States from…
A doctor, a woman who posed as a doctor, and the manager of operations at Manor Medical Imaging were found guilty of federal fraud charges as part of an organized scheme to repeatedly bill Medicare and Medi-Cal for thousands of prescriptions, including expensive anti-psychotic treatments. One of the largest Medicare fraud cases to be heard,…
The Partnership for Safe Medicines is pleased to announce the keynote speaker for Interchange 2014 on September 18, in Washington DC: Howard Sklamberg, Deputy Commissioner for the FDA’s Global Regulatory Operations and Policy. Deputy Commissioner Sklamberg directs the Office of Regulatory Affairs and the Office of International Programs. He oversees the FDA’s efforts to supervise…
In his op-ed featured in The Hill on March 1, 2014, LaGanga anticipated that the recent hearing Counterfeit Drugs, Fighting Illegal Supply Chains will spark new efforts by the government to educate patients and take stronger action to stop this growing health threat. He encouraged policymakers to better understand the real nature of the threats posed…
Photo Credit: Pfizer Corporation. Decision by European Parliament gives front-line customs agents the power to seize suspected counterfeit medications that cross their border even if they are in transit to a different country. The European Parliament passed a draft law making it easier for customs authorities to intercept counterfeit medications that pass in transit between…
Washington, D.C. (February 27, 2014) – Marv Shepherd, President of the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), released the following statement on today’s hearing on counterfeit medicines held by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The hearing, titled “Counterfeit Drugs: Fighting Illegal Supply Chains” brought to light some disturbing trends that must…
In Online Availability And Safety Of Drugs In Shortage: A Descriptive Study Of Internet Vendor Characteristics, Dr. Tim Mackey and Dr. Bryan Liang examined how Internet pharmaceutical vendors take advantage of known drug shortages to market unapproved and unsafe versions of these medications directly to consumers. Find out why drug shortages play into the hands…
Black market medicine distributors have impacted patient health in many areas. We examined two different therapeutic areas of non-FDA approved medication infiltrating the secure U.S. drug supply chain. Learn more about the prescription drug black market and what policy makers, medical professionals, patients and consumers can do to protect the secure U.S. drug supply chain.…
Take a moment to peruse “Are Tier One Countries Safe to Import Medicine From?” and teach yourself about the true dangers inherent in medicine importation. The Partnership for Safe Medicines answers the question of drug importation safety with a resource designed to make clear the real costs you incur when you purchase non-FDA approved medications from…
The Partnership has released a new version of this publication. Please consult the 2017 edition here. Download and read Counterfeit Drugs: A dangerous threat to American patients. This resource developed by The Partnership for Safe Medicines explains the counterfeit medicines issues as they impact the U.S. Explaining the breadth of the problem, it then details the…
An illicit drug lab operating in Longueuil, Canada was outfitted to produce thousands of pills. Alleged lab owner, Alexandre Beaudry is scheduled to appear in court on charges relating to these operations on February 20, 2014. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that their Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team (CLET) have dismantled a counterfeit drug…
When CBS Dallas reported on prescription fulfillment errors in Texas pharmacies, they reached out to The Partnership for Safe Medicine’s Board President, Dr. Marvin D. Shepherd to discuss the prevention of dispensing errors. Dr. Shepherd is Director of the Center for Pharmacoeconomic Studies and Chairman of the Pharmacy Administration Division at the University of Texas…
Download the 3 Steps to Safety here. On January 29, 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that seven Ohio oncologists had been sentenced to probation for purchasing cancer medications for patients from a foreign supplier. Each doctor pleaded guilty to causing the shipment of misbranded drugs, a misdemeanor, reports the DOJ. In each…
Download HeartSmart5.pdf (1142.8K) Download and share “Be Heart Smart About Natural Supplements” which explains the dangers that can be posed to your heart by seemingly innocuous “natural” dietary supplements. A quick visit to the FDA Consumer page devoted to dietary supplements demonstrates only too clearly the dangers posed by these untested and unregulated “natural” treatments.…
Two Turkish nationals have been indicted in a counterfeit cancer drug smuggling ring that illegally imported fake cancer treatments from Turkey and other countries and sold them to doctors and clinics in the Saint Louis area. Ozkan Semizoglu and Sabahaddin Akman, both citizens of Turkey, are alleged to have imported “unapproved, misbranded, adulterated and counterfeit…
FDA Special Agent Dan Burke was gracious enough to participate in an Interchange 2013 panel concerning fake online pharmacies. Special Agent Burke knows more about fake online pharmacies than most. His job is to investigate the highly organized illegal operations behind a typical fake online pharmacy. He is the senior operations manager in FDA’s Cybercrimes…
Between 2009 and 2014, 35 doctors in 7 states were prosecuted for exposing women to non-FDA approved IUDs. Doctors have been accused of purchasing IUDs from “Canadian” fake online pharmacies and importing untested IUDs from Mexico, then billing Medicare for the cost of genuine, FDA-approved IUDs. Over the same time period, authorities estimated that over 450 women were implanted with misbranded, black-market IUDs.
Learn more about black market cancer drug cases by downloading this resource. While many pharmacists act as custodians for their patients’ safety, three different pharmacists in California, New York, and Pennsylvania have either been indicted or pleaded guilty to charges ranging from prescription drug smuggling and money laundering, to heath care fraud and illegal diversion…
Graphic from PwC’s report, “Younger consumers are more concerned about the safety and quality of their medications” A recent survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers found that people 18-24 had the greatest concerns when it comes to medicine safety. Greater numbers of young consumers express concern about the quality and safety of their medications than those 65…
A news channel conducted their own investigation into purchasing prescription drugs online. Testing of the drugs they received proved they were counterfeit, and in some cases contained dangerous banned compounds. A Colorado news station, 9 News Colorado, shared with their viewers the disturbing experience of their sister news station, WKYC in Cleveland. WKYC’s investigation in…
Download What Kind of Businesses Are Fake Online Pharmacies New campaign, “Counterfeit: Don’t Buy Into Organized Crime” addresses the dangers posed to consumers who purchase medicine that turns out to be counterfeit. “Counterfeit: Don’t Buy Into Organized Crime,” the new consumer awareness campaign launched today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime…
Download BlackMarketCancer_Long.pdf (881.4K) Dr. Eduardo Miranda, an oncologist practicing in Laredo, Texas, was accused of illegally importing non-FDA approved cancer medications from a known source of counterfeit Avastin. In December 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Dr. Eduardo Miranda had pleaded guilty to charges that he imported non-FDA approved cancer medication into…
Ms. Arnold spoke at Interchange 2013 about the events in her state that resulted in the passage of a controversial law that allows non-FDA approved medication to be imported from unregulated sources into the state of Maine. At the heart of this recent law is a Canadian business called CanaRX that Ms. Arnold stated “came into…
In August 2013, the Department of Justice announced indictments of eleven people involved in running an unlicensed pharmaceutical wholesale business out of suburban Virginia. To date, seven employees of Gallant Pharma International, along with one of its co-owners have pleaded guilty to charges of importing and distributing non-FDA approved injectable medications via their unlicensed wholesale…
Download FSA.pdf (493.3K) As we approach the end of the year, people seeking to empty their flexible spending accounts or avoid new prescription deductibles in the new year will order prescriptions and other medical supplies online.But the convenience of purchasing online shouldn’t prevent you from ensuring that your…
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on December 11, 2013 the indictment of Salim Yusufov, owner and operator of Healthway Pharmacy in Pikesville, MD. Yusufov is charged with illegally providing unapproved prescription drugs for customers from Germany and Eastern Europe. The medication, Corvol, contains large amounts of phenobarbital, and is used to treat elevated blood…
Turkish police in Istanbul have arrested 56 as part of an organized crime ring in the business of manufacturing and distributing counterfeit cancer drugs for sale in Turkey and other countries, including the United States. The Hurriyet Daily News has reported that police in Istanbul have broken up a conspiracy operating throughout Turkey that manufactured…
On Thursday, December 12, 2013 a federal jury concluded deliberations on U.S.A. vs. Dr. Anindya Kumar Sen and Patricia Posey Sen. Dr. Sen is an oncologist practicing in Greeneville and Johnson City, Tennessee. Patricia Posey Sen is his wife, who manages Sen’s medical practice, East Tennessee Cancer and Blood Center (ETCBC). The doctor, his wife…
PSM’s Black Market Cancer Drug Cases 2007-2013 looks back through the past 6 years at the numerous cases of fake or misbranded cancer drugs that were sold by shady black market drug sellers and purchased by doctors and clinics throughout the United States. Since 2007, 16 physicians and drug distributors have been prosecuted for their…
As part of PSM's continuing efforts to publicize the dangers posed by counterfeit medications, two representatives from PSM spoke at last week's National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators Conference. On November 20th, 2013, two speakers from the Partnership for Safe Medicines spoke to an audience of 400 drug diversion investigators in Saint Louis Missouri at…
President Barack Obama talks with Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling and Miguel Rodriguez, Director of Legislative Affairs.Image courtesy of The White House via Flickr. On November 27, 2013, President Obama signed H.R. 3204, the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA). The new law established a national track-and-trace system to…
U.S.Attorney Samuel Louis speaking at Interchange 2013 We were fortunate enough to have US Attorney Samuel Louis share details from the counterfeit medication cases he has prosecuted at the Interchange 2013. During the course of his presentation, he described how master drug counterfeiter Kevin Xu was finally brought to justice. Kevin Xu was a businessman…
Dr. David Fishman of Euclid, was one of 7 oncologists prosecuted for purchasing imported cancer medication from websites that claimed to be Canadian. Dr. Fishman and his co-defendant Dr. Hassan Tahsildar had already pleaded guilty to charges related to illegally purchased non-FDA approved cancer medications, according to a report from the News Herald at the…
PSM applauds the members of the Senate for passing HR 3204, "Drug Quality and Security Act." The securing of the supply chain through establishing track-and-trace requirements for medicine manufacturers, wholesalers and repackagers will provide Americans with greater security over our prescription drugs. When the supply chain is breached by someone mistakenly purchasing a substandard drug…
At the 2013 Interchange, PSM Board Member Dr. Marvin Shepherdoffered an explanation of how drug diversionsubverts the securesupply chain and endangers patient health. Three pharmacists from the now shuttered Kentwood Pharmacy have been sentenced in Federal court, and stripped of their right to practice as a result of their guilty pleas on charges of reselling…
USP has launched the Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training in Accra, Ghana.Learn more about USP’s efforts to improve the quality of medicines globally at http://www.usp.org/around-world We were most fortunate to have Patrick Lukulay, PhD, Vice President of Global Health Impact Operations for the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) as a panelist at this year’s Interchange.…
Download Rabies Vaccine Information from CDC. Chinese authorities seize more than $3.28 million in counterfeit drugs and vaccines. Counterfeit rabies vaccine was sold to hospitals in Shandong province since 2009. China Daily reports the arrest of 17 drug counterfeiters who specialized in counterfeits of blood products as well as counterfeit rabies vaccine. Authorities discovered that two…
On October 24th, the Partnership for Safe Medicines gathered stakeholders in the efforts to combat counterfeit medicine in Washington D.C. for a one-day conference at the Newseum’s Knight Conference Center. This was our 4th annual conference, focused on U. S. drug supply chain security and the safety of American patients. Speakers and panelists were drawn…
Many feel Switzerland is a safe country when it comes to drug importation, however even the Swiss authorities are forced to search for counterfeit drugs. There is in fact, no “safe” country for importation. Last week, 1 million fake anti-anxiety pills were seized by Swiss customs. The counterfeit Xanax was in transit via Switzerland, and…
You can count on it. The criminals who counterfeit drugs and endanger American patients haven’t stopped making and selling fake drugs during the shutdown. There is more need for a counterfeit drug conference now than ever. The 2013 Interchange will include: Patient advocates who represent patients whose lives depend on getting genuine medication Journalists who…
2013 Interchange will feature new research from Carl L. Alsberg Fellow, Tim K. Mackey, and in-progress research from PSM Board member Marv Shepherd. As part of the Partnership for Safe Medicines continuing effort to inform the both the public and medical professionals about the dangers of counterfeit medication, we’re presenting two new research studies on…
The Partnership for Safe Medicines is pleased to announce Deputy Director Ilisa Bernstein as the keynote speaker of the 2013 Interchange on October 24, in Washington, DC. Dr. Ilisa Bernstein is the Deputy Director of Office of Compliance in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She…
Partnership for Safe Medicines India brings together pharmaceutical, patient safety, and government enforcement organizations for their training workshop focused on protecting patients from false or spurious medicines. Bejon Misra, founder of the Partnership for Safe Medicines India will be our luncheon speaker at the 2013 Interchange October 24th in Washington D.C. Register today! On August 23rd 2013,…
PSM Executive Director Urges Greater International Cooperation in Major Address to the Japan Medical Association TOKYO, JAPAN (September 19, 2013) – Partnership for Safe Medicines Executive Director Scott LaGanga stressed the urgent need for greater global education and collaboration to fight the growing health threat posed by counterfeit and substandard medicines in an address to…
Click image to download G-8 Infographic (pdf) The countries of the Group of 8 (G8) have begun to work together to try and fight the global scourge of counterfeit medications. Their efforts are important, as most of the G8 member countries are having their own problems with counterfeit drug crime. In May 2013 leaders from…
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Lukulay as a speaker at PSM’s 2013 Interchange, happening October 24th in Washington D.C. Register now to hear about the achievements of the U. S. Pharmacopeial Convention and Dr. Lukulay in combatting counterfeit medication in Africa. In May 2013, the US Pharmacopeial Convention(USP) achieved their long-held goal of opening…
It is safe for Americans to order life-saving medicine from online pharmacies overseas? No. Like the U.S., other countries are plagued by illegal Internet pharmacies.
Russian Programmer Responsible for Millions of “Canadian Pharmacy” Spam Emails Lands in Moscow Court
Igor Artimovich utilized a “botnet” program called Festi, to infect computers all over the globe, turning them into automated spamming servers. His arrest and court appearance has exposed Russia’s shadowy underworld linking spam servers, identity theft, and counterfeit drug criminal organizations. The ubiquitous “Canadian pharmacy” advertisements that regularly appear in consumer email inboxes seem innocuous…
Click image to download Simple Steps for Safe Sourcing (pdf) This month, prescription medication was stolen from an unattended courier van in Modesto. Why would anyone steal prescription drugs? Because they can be sold on the black market and also used to “salt” batches of counterfeit drugs to fool inspectors. On August 22, a batch…
Seven oncologists in six different Ohio cities have been charged with illegally importing misbranded, non-FDA approved cancer medication. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is reporting that seven Ohio cancer doctors are facing allegations of importing non-FDA approved cancer medications. The seven were each charged with a misdemeanor, “causing the shipment of misbranded drugs.” The…
11 people have been indicted in an $8.6 million prescription drug importation scheme. Gallant Pharma International allegedly imported non-FDA approved drugs into the United States, then repackaged the drugs with US labels. Gallant Pharma posed as a Canadian pharmaceutical company shipping low-cost drugs from Canada to the U.S. The drugs sold by Gallant Pharma, including…
Images of bogus diabetes treatments courtesy of the FDA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning diabetics to beware of illegal “natural” remedies for the treatment of diabetes. They pose a serious health danger to diabetics, and are part of the growing trend amongst drug counterfeiters pushing fake natural medications. The FDA has…
In a two-part series, Clinical Oncology takes a look at the recurrent counterfeit cancer medication scares that have occurred in the last year. The impact on oncologists has been dramatic, with sentencing announced for one doctor, with more prosecutions possibly looming on the horizon. They note that to date, 155 medical practices in the United…
The new NABP report warns that a fake online pharmacy collective is posing as individual, but fake, Canadian pharmacies. In their latest quarterly report, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy calls for strong consumer outreach in response to ever-more sophisticated efforts by fake online pharmacies in disguising the illegal nature of their operations. The July progress report from…
Click here to download stories of medicine counterfeiters including James Newcomb (pdf). On July 11 in Saint Louis, a British citizen was convicted of distributing counterfeit Avastin, sentenced to jail and asked to forfeit close to $4 million in counterfeit drug profits. Richard J. Taylor, a British citizen, has been sentenced to 18 months in…
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has produced a short video starring an animated “genuine” pill warning consumers and doctors of the dangers of counterfeit drugs. In a post on the Global Health Matters blog, editor Mario Ottiglio explains the reasons for the campaign: “Every day, fake medicines find their way into…
In the last year, there were several cases of counterfeit medication entering the secure U.S drug supply chain via orders made by healthcare professionals. The safety dangers to patients are implicit, but the legal problems healthcare providers face in these cases are not. On Thursday July 18th, the Partnership for Safe Medicines hosted Counterfeit Drugs…
Libby Baney speaking at the 2012 Interchange on online pharmacy patient safety issues. The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP), an informal advocacy coalition started in 2009, has now become a charted nonprofit organization. Focused on online pharmacy safety, it is dedicated to protecting patient safety through legitimate online pharmacies. ASOP’s President is Diane Darvey,…
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just released a new report on the growing threat of fake Internet pharmacies in the United States. Its findings underscore the difficulty of enforcing US laws on foreign-based Internet pharmacies, and the imperative need for public outreach to educate consumers about the dangers of counterfeit drugs. Internet…
PSM’s Member PSI Aids Investigators in Largest Global Operation of its Kind Washington, D.C. (June 27, 2013) – The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) applauds INTERPOL and the nearly 100 countries who took part in Operation Pangea VI, the largest global sting operation to date targeting the online sale of illegal prescription medicines. One of PSM’s…
Interpol-coordinated global operation targeted fake online pharmacy trade, netted over $41 million worth of counterfeit medication, and shut down more than 9,600 fake online pharmacies. Fake versions of drugs used to treat diabetes symptoms, arthritis, and schizophrenia were seized as part of the operation. 58 arrests have been made. On June 27, 2013, Interpol announced…
A recent WUSA-9 story looked at the growing problem of American teens who are buying prescription medication online from foreign-based online pharmacies that demand neither proof of age nor prescription. The growing problem of fake online pharmacies is of particular concern for parents trying to protect their children from dangerous drugs and toxic fakes. In…
On June 10th, 2013, Global Pharmacy Canada, a fake Internet pharmacy based in Belize, was forced by the Ontario Court of Appeal to shut down offices in Toronto for violating Ontario’s professional pharmacy rules. Global Pharmacy Canada was originally cited by Health Canada for marketing drugs to Canadians that were not of Canadian origin on…
A second Johnson City doctor was charged with purchasing misbranded cancer drugs just days after Dr. William Kincaid was sentenced to 2 years for his role in purchasing & administering questionable cancer medication from non-FDA approved foreign suppliers. According to the indictment (Download Sen Indictment) released on June 11, 2013 by the U.S. District Court in Greeneville,…
A Kentucky doctor is facing numerous charges including Medicare fraud for purchasing misbranded IUD contraceptive devices from a pair of fake online pharmacies and dispensing them to unsuspecting patients. Canh Jeff Vo, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky was charged with 13 counts including illegal drug importation, Medicaid fraud, health care fraud and mail fraud for deceiving his…
Two Pakistani nationals have been extradited to the United States for their alleged role in importing misbranded pharmaceuticals and controlled substances worth approximately $780,000 into the United Sates by offering them for sale via the Internet. The drugs were packaged and shipped from locations in the United Kingdom as well as Pakistan.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a report May 20th on the extradition and arrest of Sheikh Waseem Ul Haq, and Tahir Saeed of Karachi, Pakistan. The two men are charged with “conspiracy to import controlled substance pharmaceuticals into the United States; conspiracy to distribute controlled substance pharmaceuticals; conspiracy to introduce misbranded pharmaceuticals into interstate commerce; importation and distribution of controlled substance pharmaceuticals; introduction into interstate commerce of misbranded drugs, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. It also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the scheme.”
View larger map On June 10, 2013, Dr. William Kincaid of Johnson City, Tennessee was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in purchasing misbranded and possibly counterfeit cancer drugs. Kincaid was a physician and managing partner for McLeod Cancer and Blood Center of Johnson City, Tennessee. The clinic was set up to…
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease that obstructs airways, limiting breathing and causing cardiopulmonary issues. Patients with COPD are likely to suffer severe shortness of breath and are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections, including flu and pneumonia, both of which can be deadly for them. Chronic conditions like COPD are often expensive to treat, and COPD patients may seek to find cheaper medications from risky fake online pharmacies which would provide them with substandard and unapproved medication and poor treatment. But patients can shop safely online and find affordable authentic medicines.
According to a report just published by Men’s Health Network “Breath Easy, Your Lungs and COPD” COPD is “the third leading cause of death in the United States, with 12 million Americans diagnosed with COPD, and another 12 million who suffer from the disease without knowing they have the disease.” Additionally they report that 120,000 men and women die of COPD a year in the United States, and approximately 85-90% of COPD deaths are the result of cigarette smoking.
The symptoms of COPD as outlined in the Men’s Health Network Report are: shortness of breath (Dyspnea), a chronic cough, and wheezing. COPD occurs in two main forms, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. There is no cure for COPD, but symptoms can be ameliorated by careful treatment. Unfortunately COPD sufferers are particularly endangered by common illnesses that are easily treatable in a healthy patient. Colds, influenza, pneumonia, and other lung infections can be a death sentence for a COPD sufferer.
Flu season can be a dangerous time for COPD patients. The illness, which can range from mild to serious for the average adult, can be lethal for a COPD sufferer. Because of this, those with COPD should seek vaccination for seasonal flu, and medical treatment if they become ill with the flu.
However, if a COPD sufferer makes the mistake of turning to a fake online pharmacy to seek a flu vaccination or flu cure, they could be signing their own death warrant. Drug counterfeiters regard flu season as an opportunity to make money selling fake vaccines and flu treatments. In February 2013, during the height of flu season, the FDA posted a public warning concerning fraudulent flu treatments and vaccines for sale on the Internet. As Gary Coody, the FDA’s national health fraud coordinator said in the warning “As any health threat emerges, fraudulent products appear almost overnight. Right now, so-called ‘alternatives’ to the flu vaccine are big with scammers.”
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.
PSM applauds the members of the House of Representatives for passing HR 1919, “Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act of 2013.”
Today, our system of prescription drug distribution heavily relies on trusting the entity you’re dealing with and their judgment. If a mistake is made, or anyone farther back in the supply chain makes a mistake in purchasing a substandard drug product, there is no ability for a good actor down the line to know this. Criminals have taken advantage of this fact, and such incidents are growing in number every year. Life-saving medications that treat osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and many other serious medical conditions have been faked just in the last few years, as the rules of the road have failed to keep up with the innovative nature of the criminals that prey on American patients.
Robert Harshbarger
Jr. of Kingsport, TN pleaded guilty to charges he replaced FDA-approved iron
sucrose for use in kidney dialysis with
cheap foreign versions of the drug. Patients
in Kansas were unwittingly exposed to the misbranded drugs.
Harshbarger was originally charged by the FDA in March
2012. In the indictment, he was charged
with one count of selling misbranded drugs, one count of mail fraud and five
counts of health care fraud, for substituting cheap Chinese-made iron sucrose
for the FDA approved Venofer he claimed to be filling prescriptions with,
reported the Department of Justice at the time of Harshbarger’s indictment.
The Partnership for Safe Medicines recently gained access to a RFP submission from a foreign drug broker, purporting to save money for a Maine employee union. We studied the top 30 medications purchased by this union and price-compared black market foreign pharmacies to pharmacies who possessed a pharmacy license in Maine.
Using legitimate, FDA approved generic saves more than 80% of the cost of the name-brand medication, while purchasing from the black market foreign pharmacy saves less than 50%, while exposing patients to the dangers of substandard, misbranded and counterfeit drugs.
View larger map On May 25, 2013, France’s Ministry of Economy announced the largest seizure of counterfeit medication ever made by France and the European Union. French customs agents in Le Havre discovered 1.2 million doses of counterfeit aspirin hidden in a shipment of tea originating from China. The goods in the shipment were destined…
May 28 2013 is World Anti-Counterfeiting
Day. The
Global Anti Counterfeiting Network has announced Interpol and the Malaysia Health Service as the winners of their 15th
Annual Global Anti Counterfeiting Awards. While
not an event traditionally widely observed, this day gives us a chance to try and highlight our work to protect
patients from counterfeit drugs. If
you’re reading this, you probably care about protecting patients, but you
haven’t done anything to prepare for the event. The Partnership for Safe Medicines has made
it easy for you to highlight patient safety on this day, by giving you easy
resources for writing tweets, posting to Facebook, sending email, or writing a
letter to the editor on this day.
If you’re planning to help, please send us a note and we’ll keep an eye out for your messages!
Quick links:
- Campaign homepage: http://www.safemedicines.org/patient-and-doctor-tips-shareable-content.html
- TIPS for American patients: http://www.safemedicines.org/drug-safety-tips-for-patients.html
- TIPS for American physicians: http://www.safemedicines.org/drug-safety-tips-for-doctors.html
What we have planned
We are launching our patient and physician TIPS campaign on
World Anti-Counterfeiting Day. The
campaign includes 25+ tips on how patients can avoid counterfeit drugs, and
physicians can avoid unauthorized distributors selling counterfeit drugs. The tips have short versions that can fit in
a tweet or Facebook message, or longer versions that can fit in an email or
print newsletter. Each one contains an
original illustration like this one:
Ways you can help
Post a tip to Facebook or Twitter.
Post a note of support for the campaign recognizing PSM’s efforts on Twitter.
Send a tip to your mailing list, with links to more.
Post a blog post on your website.
Post a link to our campaign on your website, either in text or with one of
the tips graphics.
Write an op-ed.
Dear Speaker Boehner and Chairman Upton:
On behalf of the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), we write today in strong support of H.R.
1919, the “Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act”.
PSM is a not for profit, consumer focused organization that seeks to
keep Americans safe from counterfeit drugs through patient and healthcare
provider education and awareness. In
the US we work with a coalition of over 70 healthcare professional and patient
groups to improve patients’ and their
healthcare providers’ knowledge about where they obtain their medication, how
they can save money safely, and how to safely identify licensed pharmaceutical
distributors.
PSM strongly supports the creation of a national uniform track and trace
or pedigree system that would allow all participants in the supply chain to
verify a product’s history of sale.
Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer Guilin Pharmaceuticals is rolling out SMS-text message codes on packaging to ensure authenticity of its antimalarial medication in Nigeria.
Guilin’s artesunate meets world-wide quality assurance standards and has been pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Prequalification Programme applies unified standards of quality, safety and efficacy to medicinal products and includes manufacturing inspections, and evaluation of ingredients. Though the program is mainly used by UNAIDS and UNICEF to guide procurement, other agencies use it as a guide to determine safety at an international level, reports the WHO.
Now, purchasers of the medication can guard against purchasing counterfeit versions by scratching off a hidden identification code on drug packages. Patients can send the code via text message to a computer that will send back a safety message if the package is authentic, reports The Financial Times.
The FDA has released more information about their new counterfeit drug detection device, Counterfeit Detection Device 3 (CD-3). In this newly-released video, Nico Ranieri, the FDA research biologist who developed this new technology talks about how important such innovations are to patient safety.
In
2005, it first occurred to Nicolas Ranieri to try to use the type of
ultra-violet light devices deployed in crime scene investigations in a
hand-held counterfeit drug detection device.
Up to that point, drug testing equipment was both delicate, expensive, and
also required highly-trained scientists to
perform the tests for fakes. Says
Ranieri, “We wanted to find counterfeits, and we wanted to find them as fast as
possible,” reports the FDA.
Rx360 has launched a new campaign educating healthcare providers to the risks of buying diverted and suspect products advertised directly to doctors’ offices via fax blast, direct email and online marketing.
Lewis T. Kontnik, team lead for the education campaign, says, “Some of the recent
problems with counterfeit and diverted medicines in the US, including
the counterfeit versions of Avastin, resulted in part from a lack of
awareness by physicians and medical practice administrators
of the risks of counterfeit and diverted medicines. The ads of the
professional diverters can appear tempting when they promise ‘genuine’ medicine and substantial discounts, however the facts are different and
the consequences can be very serious.”
When London police raided an apartment in west London last month, they were looking for visa cheats. What they found instead was over $750,000 worth of counterfeit medications stored in deplorable conditions.
A raid by Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers in West London that was aimed at catching people who had overstayed their visas instead found a vast quantity of unlicensed prescription medications, reports the MHRA. Investigators from the MHRA believe the drugs, which were mostly ED, weight loss, and hair loss treatments, were manufactured in India. Anabolic steroids were also found in the raid.
In 2012, the FDA sent over 350 warning letters to doctors advising them they may have purchased fraudulent or misbranded injectable drugs, including fake versions of Avastin, Botox, and two different osteoporosis treatments. Now the FDA has identified another batch of fake Botox that is currently being marketed to doctor via fax blast.
On April 26, 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a drug safety warning for healthcare practitioners, warning them that fraudulent versions of the anti-wrinkle treatment Botox are being marketed and sold in the US. The Botox is being sold by unlicensed suppliers, and has not been vetted within the secure U.S. supply chain. They state that the FDA “cannot confirm that the manufacture, quality, storage, and handling of these products follow U.S. standards. These fraudulent products are considered unsafe and should not be used.“
Two proposals in the Maine legislature (LD 171 and LD 449) to import drugs from all over the world would endanger Maine patients without saving them any money. Maine patients would end up having their prescriptions filled by foreign companies that aren’t licensed pharmacies and sell drugs that aren’t even FDA-approved, assuming they didn’t get counterfeit drugs with either chalk or toxins.
For a serious condition, such as high blood pressure, asthma, and blood clots, even medicine made of chalk is a dangerous pill.
In light of the threat of illegal online pharmacies, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) announced their application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to own and operate a secure and vetted .PHARMACY domain for licensed Internet pharmacies.
The April 2013 report from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) illustrates the patient safety threat from illegal online pharmacies by showing that of more than 10,000 Web sites they analyzed, nearly 97% operate out of compliance with pharmacy laws and practice standards established in the US. To combat that threat, they have announced their application to ICANN for .PHARMACY, which will be available only to legally operating online pharmacies, who follow the rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which they are based.
When counterfeit cancer medication was found in US distribution at doctors’ offices throughout the country, the source of the fake drugs was traced to Canada Drugs affiliate, Montana Healthcare Solutions (MHS). Now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a man who marketed the fake cancer drugs to US doctors is due to plead guilty to felony charges in the case.
On March 21, 2013, Paul Bottomley, a UK citizen and founder of Montana Healthcare Solutions, signed a plea agreement wherein he accepted his guilt for his role in the distribution of counterfeit cancer medication, reports the Wall Street Journal. According to the Plea Agreement, Bottomley waved the right to a jury trial and agreed to plead guilty to misprision of a felony, or aiding in the commission of a felony. The plea agreement also states that Bottomley “maintains he can provide substantial assistance to the United States” and in so doing, further reduce his sentence.
Bottomley had previously agreed to forfeit the proceeds of his business to the Federal Government, including land and an ostentasiously expensive Aston Martin, sold at auction for $110,000, reports the Missoulan.
Bottomley initially denied any connection to the fake Avastin distribution, telling CBS news via text that Montana Healthcare Solutions had shut down in 2010, and that he “knew nothing of this Avastin matter.” Subsequent investigations however linked him to the sale of the fake Avastin. CBS reports further that a doctor they spoke to received a price sheet in 2011 from MHS with Bottomley listed as the “Business Development Director.”
Back in February 2012 when the FDA first reported that counterfeit Avastin had been found at US doctors’ offices, they identified Montana Healthcare Solutions as one of the suppliers. At that time MHS’s links to online pharmacy giant Canada Drugs were not as yet understood. In July of 2012, the Wall Street Journal linked the two companies in print for the first time. Montana Healthcare Solutions has since been identified by the FDA as “owned and operated by Canada Drugs.”
In related news, The Winnepeg Sun is reporting that Canada Drugs has laid off hundreds of employees in the wake of the FDA’s efforts to shut down their US operations.
To learn more about the safety of purported Canadian Internet pharmacies, and to insure that your medicine stays safe read “The 5 Secrets Canadian Web Pharmacies Don’t Want You To Know.”
To learn more about the counterfeit Avastin case, and check to see if your doctor received a warning letter from the FDA about fake cancer medication, read our Update on Fake Avastin.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has just released their report on organized crime activities in East Asia. It shows counterfeited/ fraudulent pharmaceuticals are a growing source of profit for criminal gangs, and countries with lax enforcement are the biggest market fraudulent medicines.
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…
4 Wales residents were sentenced in a counterfeit drugs case spanning Europe. The four accepted delivery of counterfeit & illicit drugs from Pakistan, which they then repackaged and shipped to online customers in the European Union.
On March 27, 2013, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom announced the sentences of 4 defendants in a counterfeit drug operation spanning from Wales to Pakistan.
CanaRX on the Ray Richardson show on Mon 4/15/2013 @ 7am EST This coming Monday morning 4/15/2013 @ 7am EST the Ray Richardson show is going to talk about importing drugs and have, as a guest, CanaRX, the company that fills Mainers prescriptions by passing them along to unlicensed pharmacies in other countries to be…
Over the last year the FDA has sent our numerous warnings about the dietary supplement “Mojo Nights” for containing unacknowledged prescription medication. Now four people who marketed and sold Mojo Nights have been indicted for distribution of misbranded drugs.
The FDA first warned the public about the Mojo Nights dietary supplements in May 2012, advising consumers to “stop using this product immediately and throw it away. Consumers who have experienced any negative side effects should consult a health care professional as soon as possible.”