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.
A Chinese citizen in the US was recently sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison in Texas for selling counterfeit drugs. United States Attorney José Angel Moreno recently announced that Kum Leung Chow, who was also known as Lawrence Chow, will be sent to federal prison for "conspiring to distribute counterfeit pharmaceuticals…
In a newly published report on antimalarial drug efficacy and resistance, The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alarm about a new strain of artemisinin resistant malaria in South East Asia. Scientists believe that fake and substandard malarial medications are a major factor in the development of new drug-resistant strains of malaria. WHO’s containment plan will provide free medication and care for those affected in order to prevent them from relying on counterfeit and substandard malarial medications.
“Efforts have also been made to stop the sale of counterfeit and substandard drugs, which are a major factor in the development of resistance,” states the report.
This is a reprint of the FDA’s Alert. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA), and other law enforcement officials, to recover cases of specified lots of recently stolen pharmaceutical products. The specified lots were being transported in a tractor-trailer stolen in Florence, Kentucky, on Interstate…
A group of doctors, pharmacists, drug regulators and distributors, called Samahan Laban sa Pekeng Gamot (Samahan), are spreading the warning that ten percent of all medicines in the Philippines are fake. Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag, Samahan spokesman and chair of the Cosmetics Committee of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), said "Consumers unwittingly buy from…
The governor of a state in Nigeria has expressed his support for the country's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control's (NAFDAC) fight against counterfeit drugs. Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam said that counterfeit drugs are a major concern in the country, particularly in its rural areas, according to the Vanguard. Suswam expressed his…
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has warned consumers of the growing market for counterfeit animal medications sold in online pharmacies. "Not only is this a risky practice as there is no guarantee you're going to get what you're paying for, you might also be breaking the law by buying these drugs online and importing them…
Osteopath Kelly Dean Shrum was found guilty by a jury of one count of misdemeanor Misbranding in violation of the Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act and one count of Health Care Fraud. He was originally indicted on one count each of misbranding and health care fraud and three counts of money laundering for using imported…
A Ghanaian tech company has won the Global Security Challenge with their proposals for systems designed to combat counterfeit drugs throughout West Africa. The prize was awarded at the Global Security Challenge Summit, a meeting held at the University of London that marks the final round of an annual international competition. The challenge seeks to…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it will help fund a new project by the World Health Organization that seeks to develop a “global surveillance and monitoring system for combating counterfeit medicines and breaches in the supply chain,” according to a government release. Other aims of the funding include the development of “consistent…
Three people have been hit with charges related to the burglary of a pharmacy in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune. Reddon’s Pharmacy was robbed on October 29 by Darryl Chaffee, 36, and Jerrod Decker, 24, who stole up to $100,000 worth of prescription medications. Chaffee and Decker have been charged with felony theft,…
Malaysia’s Drug Control Agency (DCA) has banned the sale, possession, distribution and consumption of two unregulated traditional products found to contain controlled drugs, reports Malaysian national news agency Bernama. DCA analysis of the two products revealed the presence of regulated substances that may only be legally obtained with a prescription.
A truckload of pharmaceuticals was stolen from a rest area in Florence, Kentucky on November 11 with an estimated value of several million dollars. Securingpharma.com reports that the products included the antihypertensives, anticoagulants, aripiprazole for schizophrenia, HIV drugs and an antiplatelet medication. The plain white truck was left unattended for 15 minutes on the edge…
A new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) has revealed that the prevalence of ineffective or counterfeit drugs is dangerously high in Africa, particularly in the western part of the continent. In particular, the study examined common medications used for the treatment of malaria and tuberculosis. The…
Police in four countries in Europe have conducted searches as part of an investigation of counterfeit cancer drugs allegedly being smuggled illegally into the European Union, according to the Cyprus Mail.
The simultaneous searches were orchestrated by the German Federal Police and were carried out by local agents in Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Cyprus.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) in Karachi, Pakistan, has rejected the bail application of two men who allegedly trafficked in counterfeit medications, according to the Daily Times. The SHC division bench consisting of Justice Gulzar Ahmad and Justuce Imam Bukhsh Balouch decided against issuing bail after hearing arguments from the prosecution against the two defendants, Muhammad…
CBS Evening News reported that cargo thefts from trucks and warehouse are on the rise. In 2009, there were 864 reported cargo thefts, more than two per day, and frequency is projected to rise for 2010. The FDA is particularly concerned about prescription drug thefts, calling them “crime that threatens public health,” in a letter…
Awareness of the problem of counterfeit drugs is on the rise in East Africa, according to Tanzania’s The Citizen. Starting in 2008, Interpol and the World Health Organization have collaborated on the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (IMPACT), a series of anti-counterfeiting raids in Tanzania and Uganda. The news source reports that approximately 20 percent…
One of Ghana’s ministries recently held a workshop regarding the possibility of bodies of water being contaminated by counterfeit drugs. The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology held the workshop, titled “Drugs and the Environment: The Development Country Perspective,” as part of the 10th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), according to…
The Russian man accused of running a website responsible for a large percentage of the world’s online pharmacy spam has claimed his innocence, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Igor Gusev, 31, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by Russian authorities who believe he was responsible for paying spammers to advertise online pharmacies that sold erectile…
A Zambian pharmacist has called on the government to empower the agency in charge of issues relating to counterfeit drugs in the country, reports the Zambia Post. “The Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency needs to be equipped properly. It is a professional body that works very hard to check on the quality of medicines the Zambian patients consume.…
Online pharmaceutical spam organization, Spamit.com, has been implicated in the use of Bredolab, a botnet that hijacked personal computers to use to spread spam. KrebsOnSecurity reported that Georg Avanesov, age 27, was arrested by Armenian police on suspicion of being the curator of Bredolab, a botnet that has infected approximately 3 million computers a month.…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to an online pharmacy accused of selling controlled and unapproved substances in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), according to a press release. The pharmacy, Rx-promotion, reportedly operates nearly 300 internet domain names, through which it sells and dispenses medications with…
Three new studies highlight the hopes and fears of parents across the globe.
A new study conducted by Dr. Nicholas White of Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand shows a significant reduction in mortality and gives hope for children with severe malaria.
Meanwhile a study from the U.S. Agency for International Development details the pervasive infiltration of ineffective counterfeit malarial drugs.
And another study by researchers of malaria in Indonesia has found a new genetic mutation in the disease.
In Chennai, India, the Madras high court rules that malaria testing kits are pharmaceutical products, subject to the Drugs and Cosmetics Acts. It has ordered a detailed probe into the sale of fake malaria detection kits to city hospitals, and has asked the central and state governments to launch a campaign to spread awareness about…
The recent raid in Lagos that saw the closure of more than 1,000 counterfeit drug shops, has spurred Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reactivate the Federal Task Force on fake and counterfeit drugs. Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, made the announcement in a recent speech delivered…
The fight against counterfeit drugs affects every country and that is why it is important that nations work together to stop the deadly scourge. This fact is not lost on Nigeria, which is working with India to ensure that all medicines brought into the African nation are authentic. According to AllAfrica.com, most of the pharmaceutical products…
Ghanaian religious leaders committed to decreasing child mortality rates decried counterfeit drug purveyors at the 8th Annual National Catholic Health Services Conference (NCHS). The 8th NCHS Annual Conference was held at the Catholic Guest House, Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region of Ghana from October 26 to 29, 2010. The theme was “Monitoring for Continuous…
The government in Taiwan is currently cracking down on a rapid proliferation in the trade of fake drugs, the China Post reports. Taiwanese Health Minister Yang Chih-liang said during a press conference that counterfeit drugs posed a more serious problem than drug trafficking. The government has been strongly cracking down on counterfeit drugs since March,…
A number of health professionals in Kenya say diseases are becoming more resistant to treatments because of the prevalence of counterfeit drugs in the country. Pharmacists in the African nation said that a campaign should be started to warn consumers that the use of counterfeit drugs can lead to more resilient strands of certain diseases,…
A Grand Forks, North Dakota doctor has pled guilty on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. His counsel says that he client didn’t know he was breaking the law and even paid taxes on his earnings. Authorities say Enrique Rivera Mass, 56, illegally signed off on prescriptions for nearly 1.8 million pills…
The beginning of a criminal investigation by Russian authorities in Moscow of a prominent spammer has resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of spam advertising from illegal online pharmacies, reports the New York Times. The center of the investigation, Igor A. Gusev, has been linked to the website “SpamIt”, an organization that provides…
A new study from Cambridge Consultants details some of the challenges facing developers of anti-counterfeiting technology, according to a new white paper written in coordination with the BIO 2010 conference in Chicago. Summarizing a panel discussion between Lew Kontnik, Director of Brand Protection for Amgen, David Kent, Vice President of Global Risk at Genzyme, Andrew Emmett, director for…
The Food and Drug Administration Office of Regulatory Affairs has increased regulation of imported goods by 35% over the past five years, employing more than 2,000 analysts and conducting more than 100,000 analyses annually, says David Elder of the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs.
Working cooperatively with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other agencies, the FDA uses a targeted, risk-based approach to electronically examine 100% of imported drug products followed by additional reviews by FDA imports personnel to ensure key compliance, says David Elder, regional operations director in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Regulatory Affairs.
Read the full interview with David Elder, as reprinted from FDA Consumer Updates under Read More below.
A Canadian Paralympic curling champion recently pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit drugs in the U.S. Jim Armstrong and his son Gregory pleaded guilty in a Seattle court to selling and dispensing counterfeit drugs with intent to mislead or defraud, reports CTV. The pair was accused of peddling phony erectile dysfunction medication. The 59-year-old allegedly attempted to…
A new agency has been set up in Liberia to combat illegal trade in counterfeit drugs in the country. A representative of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime told Voice of America that counterfeit drug crime is currently on the rise in West Africa. This puts patients at increased risk of malaria, the leading cause of…
Authorities in Kenya will soon institute regulations on the operations of herbalists who sell counterfeit drugs wrongly described as herbal remedies to patients, reports Business Daily Africa. “The regulations will require that herbalists register their medicines and that those medicines have to go for laboratory analysis,” Edward Abwao – assistant chief pharmacist at the Pharmacy and…
Nigeria, one of the countries that has been hit hardest by counterfeit drugs, is continuing to battle the public health menace even though the criminals are getting more sophisticated at producing and disguising fake medicine. Leading the fight is Dr. Paul Orhii, the director-general of the country’s National Agency for Food And Drug Administration and…
Local Nigerian authorities recently shut down more than 1,200 illegal pharmacies in Lagos for selling substandard and counterfeit drugs. The Lagos State Task Force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods reportedly shut down 1,253 illegal pharmaceutical outlets at Idumota, at the Lagos Central Business District (LCBD) on Lagos Island, according to the newspaper…
A large pharmaceutical theft occurred at a drug manufacturing facility in Ontario and now the police are asking the public for help. Niagara Regional Police said that in late August a large quantity of pseudoephedrine was stolen from the Fort Erie pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Fort Erie, Ontario, according to the Buffalo News. After having…
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in New Brunswick were part of the recent global effort, termed Operation Pangea, to fight the sale of counterfeit drugs from illegal online pharmacies. Law enforcement officials warned consumers that many of the websites that claim to be Canadian pharmacies are in fact run from other countries around the…
Counterfeit drugs are becoming an increasingly serious problem in Vietnam but there are stern punishments in place for those who are caught dealing in this nefarious trade, according to Viet Nam News. The news source reports that Vietnam’s Criminal Code has sentencing guidelines that provide for two to seven years of imprisonment for those caught…
A UK grandmother got quite a surprise when a team of policeman raided her home expecting to find counterfeit drugs. Police entered Margaret Waite’s Lockeridge home hoping to find criminals, and instead found a 69-year-old that pointed out that while they were on the right street, they were in the wrong house, according to Gazette…
A man from Missouri recently pleaded guilty to federal charges of distributing counterfeit drugs. Mark Hughes was accused of ordering fake erectile dysfunction medication from overseas and then sold them in an illegal, unlicensed pharmacy and on the street, according to the
Alabama will implement a state law January 2011 to keep track of pseudophedrine sales through an electronic database. Attempting to curb the manufacture of methamphetamines, which The Drug Enforcement Agency called the number one drug threat in Alabama for the second year in a row, the state is now requiring all pseudophedrine purchases to be…
CVS repeatedly failed to properly monitor pseudophedrine sales according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and has agreed to pay $77.6 million in fines and returned profits. Insufficient monitoring gave methamphetamine traffickers in Southern California and Clark County, NV, access to “large amounts” of pseudophedrine, which led to a rise in methamphetamine production in California. CVS…
Eastern Europe plays a major role in the counterfeit drug trade, said experts at a recent regional meeting. The two-day meeting was held in the capital of Romania, Bucharest, featured more than 120 anti-counterfeit specialists from Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, reports AFP. Hungarian customs officer Karolyi Szep said that Eastern…
On October 19, 2010, Google’s attorneys filed an amended complaint in US District Court against four others accusing them of violating the AdWords Program agreement to entice consumers to online pharmacies not approved by the National Association of Board of Pharmacies VIPPS certification program.
In addition to the two defendants original named, Omar Jackman and John Doe “Simon,” the complaint now adds Gregory Gavin, Amanda Odell, Joey Patron and Gina Wyant. Defendants Gavin, Odell and Patron reside in Clarkesville, Tennessee, according to the complaint and defendant Wyant resides in Columbiana, Ohio.
The complaint states that “on information and belief” the defendants worked together. Gavin allegedly registered a domain name, and then all four defendants allegedly opened a number of AdWords accounts to advertise the domain name. The complaint states the defendants were not verified by VIPPS, which is required by the Google AdWords agreement, in order to advertise pharmaceuticals.
A group of Russian criminals have been using internet addresses belonging to Microsoft to re-route consumers to more than 1,000 sites, including a number of illegal online pharmacies that may be selling counterfeit drugs, according to The Register. The news source reports search results from Microsoft’s own servers show that since at least September 22, 1,025…
A new initiative between the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) and six government drug control laboratories in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been undertaken to improve the governments’ drug testing capabilities. Attempting to facilitate the development of broader technological expertise in the government drug testing laboratories, The MENA Regional Laboratory Network “aims…
A man was recently caught trying to smuggle more than 5,000 doses of counterfeit drugs into Israel. Authorities seized Chen Ben-Zion at Ben Gurion International Airport, after seeing the counterfeit drugs in an x-ray scanner, according to Haaretz.com. Ben-Zion arrived in Israel on a flight from Georgia. Authorities pulled him aside and told him that he…
A doctor in the Philippines is facing charges of expired, smuggled and counterfeit drugs. Edwin Pinili of the Pinili Clinic in Calumpang village is facing charges from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Dominic Cerro, special investigator of the NBI’s Sarangani District…
On Sunday October 17th, the Egyptian Ministry of Health announced a new campaign entitled "Your Source of Cure Guarantees Treatment," aiming to address counterfeit and contraband drug use and smuggling. Kamal Sabra, assistant to the Health Minister for Pharmacology Affairs, said a consumers now have access to a reporting hotline for unregistered drugs. He also…
The Sri Lanka Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) joined with the U.S. Embassy, the American Chamber of Commerce and other entities to host the first of four workshops on "Protecting Sri Lankan Families from counterfeit drugs," according to the Daily Mirror. This initial workshop was held on October 17 in Colombo. The news source reports that…
Ireland a significant player in INTERPOL's recent fake drug bust, Pangea III. According to the Irish Times, a co-ordinated Interpol operation targeting the sale of counterfeit and illegal drugs from online pharmacies netted the phony medicines. The Irish Medicines Board (IMB), the Revenue Commissioners’ Customs Service and Irish police were also involved in the operation, reports…
A new method for analyzing illicit drugs can also be used as an anti-counterfeiting technology to help with the identification of fake medicines. The new method involves the identification and confirmation of illegal drugs and their salt forms, which is the form in which many illicit drugs are found, according to a news release. The method…
Zimbabwe's drug testing lab, which helps to protect the country from counterfeit drugs, recently received a commendation. The International Standards Organization (ISO) recently bestowed ISO 17025 certification upon the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe's (MCAZ) drug-testing laboratories, states AllAfrica.com. According to the ISO, 17025 Certification "is for use by laboratories in developing their management system for…
Two criminals disguised as police officers allegedly committed a major pharmaceutical theft when stole a delivery truck. Los Angeles police Sergeant Mitzi Grasso, said the truck was delivering drugs to a Rite Aid in the San Fernando Valley in the early morning on October 7 when two men wielding semiautomatic handguns approached the driver, according…
Government supplies of anti-malarial drugs are effective and genuine, reassured Nigeria’s National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), while market drugs are risky and potentially fake. Science and Development Network reports that Nigerian drug quality concerns have triggered government efficacy trials of two different combination therapies for malaria (artemether and lumefantrine; artesunate and amodiaquine). The NMCP tested…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a number of other regulatory and international bodies recently completed International Internet Week of Action (IIWA), which took place to help limit the sales of counterfeit drugs by illegal online pharmacies. A wide range of internationl bodies helped to sponsor IIWA including INTERPOL, the World Health Organization's International…
The Food and Drug Administration is prioritizing IT as part of its five-year strategic plan, including accelerating a program to build innovative devices to improve field and laboratory analysis. "Advances in regulatory science are critical to effectively translate cutting-edge developments in science and technology into promising products and therapies for the Americans who need them. Americans…
Customs officers in New Zealand recently seized more than 400 packages that were suspected of containing counterfeit drugs as part of an international, week-long effort to crack down on the sale of fake medicines from online pharmacies. According to Stuff.co.nz, 34 of the parcels seized by the country's Medsafe organization were confiscated because they either were…
Kenyan news station K24 courtesy of youtube.com
Kenya has been working hard to ensure that counterfeit drugs do not enter its borders and provide those in the country with some of the best healthcare in Africa.
According to Professor Anyang’ Nyong’o, the head of Kenya’s Ministry of Medical Services, criminals from other African countries mark boxes with counterfeit drugs as coming from Kenya’s pharmaceutical industry, reports K24TV. But Nyong’o says the country is making improvements to its system.
“We’ve become wiser than them,” he told the news source.
These improvements encompass two main strategies, according to the news provider’s report.
The first is improved border security, which will allow Kenya to control what is and isn’t allowed to enter the country.
A North Carolina sheriff is warning residents of a phone scam being perpetrated by people claiming to be Drug Enforcement Administration agents, targeting people who have used online pharmacies. Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck said the caller tells the victim that such purchases are illegal, and now they must pay a fine. In most cases,…
There are many anti-counterfeiting technologies that are used on drug packaging, but a new one utilizes nano-technology to encode prescription drug capsules before they’re even filled. The new anti-counterfeiting technology claims to be able to track and verify the authenticity of every dose from its manufacture to its consumption, according to the October issue of…
The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) today applauded a multi-national effort that resulted in 76 people being arrested or placed under investigation for selling counterfeit drugs online. Operation Pangea III was coordinated by INTERPOL.
INTERPOL Video on the Dangers of Illegal Online Drug Purchase courtesy of INTERPOL
October 14, 2010
Lyon, France – INTERPOL has announced that 45 countries took part in a week of sweeps targeting the sale of counterfeit and illegal medicines over the internet. 76 criminals were arrested around the globe and 11,000 packages of fake drugs were impounded by regulators and customs officials. In total 290 online pharmacies selling fake and illegal drugs were shut down.
In total 290 online pharmacies selling fake and illegal drugs were shut down.
The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering recently put out a White Paper that suggests ways to increase supply chain security. The ISPE White Paper states that its purpose is to present “how an integrated approach can facilitate supply chain security by suggesting ways of augmenting the pharmaceutical quality system to prevent and detect adulteration, counterfeiting,…
The government of South Korea recently revealed that it had seized $5.58 billion worth of counterfeit goods since 2006, including a substantial quantity of fake medicines. According to a report submitted by the Korea Customs Service to the Strategy and Finance Committee of the National Assembly, $157.8 million of fake drugs had been seized by…
The European Union loses more than €50 billion each year because of healthcare fraud, including the provision of counterfeit medicines. The European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network (EHFCN) recently revealed research at its annual conference in Brussels that fraud in the healthcare system is costing the European Union €50 billion each year, according to EurActiv…
Nigeria’s National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administrations and Control (NAFDAC) recently announced that its utilization of sophisticated anti-counterfeiting technologies has so far been effective in the fight against counterfeit drugs. Director-General of NAFDAC Dr. Paul Orhii speaking through the Deputy Director Enforcement, Garba Macdonald, said that the agency had destroyed 450 million Nigerian naira…
The dangers posed by online pharmacies and the drugs they sell is becoming increasingly well known. However, consumers may overlook the fact that they are dealing with unscrupulous individuals when they buy pet medication over the internet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that it has found a number of illegal online pharmacies that…
A recent Korean study showed that buying erectile dysfunction medication online can pose serious health risks. The Korean researchers presented their findings at the recent 105th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association, according to ModernMedicine.com. Dr. Kewon Min of Busan Paik Hospital in Busan, Korea, said it could be very dangerous to buy…
A combination of new technologies is being used to secure drug supplies. A new intelligent refrigerator uses RFID to monitor contents. It is expected to help fight against the theft of pharmaceuticals, contamination and counterfeit distribution. In August, a patent was issued for an intelligent refrigerator [pdf] to store pharmaceutical products. The refrigerator is intended…
“It is sad to realize that we live in a world in which some criminals are willing to maximize profits by placing poisons in products like infant formula, toothpaste and medically necessary drugs. But it is a reality we must face. And, more importantly, it is a reality that we must become more proactive in…
Washington state police recently arrested two people who are suspected of the theft of pharmaceuticals. The two suspects allegedly tried to steal a large metal safe with more than $15,000 in prescription drugs out of an Olympia, Washington, pharmacy, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. Jack Frederick Boysen and Marissa Cathryn Cavanaugh are under suspicion…
Interpol Russia recently announced that it would start a major operation against fake drugs. Rossiyskaya Gazeta announced the operation Monday September 27, 2010. The head of Russia’s Interpol Bureau, General Timur Lakhonin, said that the operation would seek the sources of counterfeit drugs in the country, reports the ITAR-TASS News Agency. “At present, a special…
Thailand recently launched a government-wide effort to fight the counterfeit drug trade in the country. Nine government agencies recently signed a memorandum of understanding to join together to fight the trade of fake drugs, according to The Nation. These agencies are the Customs Department, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Special Investigation, Pharmaceutical Research and…
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) recently announced the purchase AWARxE, a website and campaign that seeks to educate the public about the dangers presented by illegal online pharmacies. AWARxE was started in 2007 by the Minnesota Pharmacists Foundation after it heard about the story of Justin Pearson, a 24 year old who…
A task force in Bangkok, Thailand, recently raided four drug store houses and found more than 200 varieties of counterfeit drugs. The task force, made up of police and health officials, were tipped off that the stockrooms in the Din Daeng district were distribution points for fake drugs, according to the Bangkok Post. The drugs…
Federal agents recently seized more than $21 million in counterfeit drugs and other phony items at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The 10-day operation, dubbed Operation Safe Summer, ran from September 7 to September 17 and saw a wide range of counterfeit products be seized, according to The Cincinnati Equirer. The operation was part of…
Counterfeit drugs affect every country in the world but few have been as hard hit by the scourge of phony medications like Nigeria. A number of incidents over the past few decades illustrate the problems the African nation has had with counterfeit drugs. In 1989, three children died at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital…
The rise of a strain of tuberculosis that is resistant to medications is on the rise in East Africa and is part of the result of the unknowing use of counterfeit drugs. There are two types of TB that have become resistant to medicine, multi-drug resistant TB and extremely resistant TB, and the prevalence of…
Police in Edmonton, Canada, recently busted an illegal steroid ring and found that the members were also in possession of counterfeit drugs. Police are calling the ring a family-run steroid lab and distribution center and during the bust found $250,000 in illegal steroids and a quantity of fake erectile dysfunction medication, according to the Toronto…
On September 21, 2010, LegitScript LLC, and eNom, Inc., the
world’s largest ICAAN accredited domain name wholesaler announced an
agreement to work together to identify customers who are violating
eNom’s terms of service by operating online pharmacies in violating
with U.S. law.
“As the largest domain name wholesaler, we take our role and
responsibility very seriously. As such, it is our policy to cooperate
with law enforcement agencies, and where we have evidence of illegal
conduct from law enforcement or another trusted source, we take
appropriate action, including terminating domain name registration
services,” said Taryn Naidu, senior vice president and general
manager at eNom. “Our partnership with LegitScript provides us with a
trustworthy source of information regarding the illegal sale of
pharmaceutical drugs.”
Texans order prescription drugs online from Canadian pharmacies in an effort to save money, however they may be putting themselves at risk. According to the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, approximately 68,000 people in Texas order more than 200,000 drug shipments from Canadian pharmacies, reports the Dallas Morning-News. Potentially cheaper drugs may also be riskier, according…
Update: On June 23, 2011, Marks was sentenced to 51 months in prison for the Internet distribution of prescription drugs without valid prescriptions. Reports the DOJ, Marks made more than $1 million by selling controlled substances without prescriptions over the Internet. “At his guilty plea, Marks admitted to illegally distributing pain medications such as hydrocodone…
Dr. Paul Orhii, the director-general of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), recently announced the implementation of two anti-counterfeiting technologies. One of the technologies is known as Mobile Authentication Service. With this technology, each drug package is printed with a code that consumers text on their mobile phones to government…
Dr. Paul Orhii, the Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), recently announced that the government body will be working with China to fight the importation of counterfeit drugs. Speaking at an event in Lagos, Orhii said that Nigeria was the largest market in Africa for pharmaceutical products from China,…
A Florida pharmacy owner recently averted a pharmaceutical theft when he wrestled the would-be robber’s gun out of his hand. Snehal Patel owns Money Saver Pharmacy in New Port Richey, Florida, and told the St. Petersburg Times that he stays calm under pressure. “You have to be calm,” said the 37-year-old Patel. “That’s when you…
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has scheduled a drug take-back day for September 25 to help prevent the theft of pharmaceuticals, but one community has decided to take the idea to the next level. Minnesota’s Chisago County Sheriff’s Department and Environmental Services recently introduced a permanent drug take-back box at Rush City Hall, according to…
Demand for medication in Indonesia keeps the counterfeit drug trade going, according to an official. Speaking in Jakarta, Erita Harun from the United States Department of Justices’ International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) Indonesia said that drug counterfeiters will resort to virtually anything in their quest to make money off of fake medication, according…
In Google’s law suit complaint filed September 21, 2010, online pharmacy advertisers violated the Terms and Conditions required for AdWords use and circumvented the automated monitoring systems.
Google named two domain names, www.4rx-online.com, which is no longer operating, and www.onlinedrpharmacy.com, which is still operational. Neither domain name appears in the VIPPS database. Google requires VIPPS verification as a prerequisite for AdWords engagement.
In addition, LegitScript, which uses pharmacy verification standards recognized by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy identifies both pharmacies as “rogue pharmacies” and says each site, “intentionally or knowingly…1. violates, appears to violate, or encourages violation of Federal or state law or regulation; 2. does not adhere to accepted standards of medicine and/or pharmacy practice, including standards of safety; and/or 3. engages in fraudulent or deceptive business practices.”
A Nigerian state has revitalized a program to help rid the area of counterfeit drugs. Speaking to the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Ugbodaga, said that the Edo State would bring back its Essential Drug Project (EDP) to help fight the scourge of counterfeit…
A Florida sheriff’s department is currently investigating a theft of pharmaceuticals that took place recently. SNN Local News 6 reported that the owner of the Medical Arts Pharmacy on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota County returned one morning and found the front door of his establishment smashed. Local police told the news provider that it…
In New York on September 21, 2010, Ponni Subbiah, MD, MPH, Vice President, Pfizer Global Access, announced a joint commitment with Vodafone, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in The Gambia and International Health Partners, to support the “SMS for Health” initiative, aimed at improving access and reliability of medicine supply…
A woman who was accused of two pharmaceutical thefts was recently arrested in Florida. Corey Bradley is being charged with pharmaceutical thefts at the Kmart in Orange City, Florida, and another at the Winn-Dixie on Howland Boulevard in Deltona, Florida, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. In the Winn-Dixie theft, Bradley allegedly brandished a handgun…
Google has filed a civil action in Federal Court against fifty-two individuals alleged to have violated the terms of AdWords to promote fraudulent drug sales.
In a complaint filed in Federal Court in San Jose, CA, Google “seeks to stop rogue online pharmaceutical sellers” from using Google’s AdWords advertising network. Two defendants, Omar Jackman and John Doe “Simon” were named, and 50 others are “individuals whose true identities and locations are unknown.”
Google states in the complaint that “Google prohibits the promotion of online pharmacies and prescription drugs except under specific circumstances. Google allows ads targeting the United States to promote online pharmacy websites only if the advertised website is verified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (“VIPPS”) program.
Pharmacists in the African nation of Kenya say that their nation struggles with counterfeit drugs because of the large number of medications that are registered in the country. There are more than 11,000 pharmaceutical products registered in Kenya, which is one of the highest totals in Africa, according to the Daily Nation. Kenyan pharmacists point…