The Obama administration’s has a new plan to crack down on transnational criminals who sell counterfeit goods, including fake medicines, which can be extremely dangerous.
Read MoreThe U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, in conjunction with other US agencies, has reaffirmed the targeting criminals selling unapproved, adulerated, or counterfeit medicine in the United States. Operation Apothecary, initiated in 2004, focuses on internet crime, specifically criminal use of the internet to purchase pharmaceuticals. Says the ICE, “Criminals, posing as legitimate pharmaceutical providers,…
Read MoreA New Jersey custom laser manufacturer, PD-LD, has been awarded a US patent on a low-cost Raman monitoring device that can be used to detect counterfeit medicine. The device doesn't need the expensive components that other Raman spectrometers need, reports Securing Pharma. Using low-cost lasers, similar to those in DVD drives, combined with laser-stabilizing technology,…
Read More“The people behind these rogue websites are people without a conscience. They’re simply murderers. They killed my friend […] They don’t think about what the consequences are, that somebody could end up sick, somebody could end up dead.”
Read More78% of all email is spam, and of that 66% is fake pharmacy spam. But the danger isn’t a clogged inbox: it’s dangerous fake medicine and computers disabled by viruses. While more than 50% of all email is fake pharmacy spam, this is better than it used to be. Drug spam alone used to be…
Read MoreDoctors and pharmacists agree that the safest place to purchase medicine is from a brick-and-mortar pharmacy. However, if you are going to buy medicine online, it is important to verify that the online pharmacy is accredited by the National Association of Board of Pharmacists. NABP developed the VIPPS program to help consumers find sources for…
Read MoreThe percentage of “online pharmacies” deemed legitimate through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s accreditation program is staggeringly low. Only 59 of 8,353 online pharmacies – or 0.7% – meet the criteria to be VIPPS-accredited. What are the risks associated with medicines ordered from non-accredited so-called pharmacy sites? Many fake online pharmacies offer foreign,…
Read MoreIf you buy drugs through an “online pharmacy,” there’s a chance that the medicine you receive is not only lacking FDA approval, but actually fake, according to the latest report from NABP. The health and safety risks associated with these counterfeit and non-approved drugs are very real. Right now, this problem is primarily confined to…
Read MoreWashington, D.C. (July 28, 2011) – Bryan A. Liang, MD, PhD, JD, vice president of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, a non-profit dedicated to curbing counterfeit drugs, today issued the following statement on the public health alert issued today by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy regarding the widespread prevalence of fake online pharmacies.…
Read MoreIn an effort to raise public awareness about the dangers of medicines purchased through fake pharmacies online, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) today issued a rare “public health alert.”
A new study by NABP found that 96 percent of 8,000 rogue websites analyzed continue to operate out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws, fuel prescription drug abuse, and provide an outlet for counterfeit medicines to enter the U.S. drug supply – all of which significantly endanger the health and safety of Americans. Most of these sites will sell without a valid prescription and 3,687 offer non-FDA-approved drugs. They could be selling dangerous counterfeit medicines that may contain toxic ingredients or not enough of the active ingredient to do what the medicine is supposed to do.
In the announcement of the alert, NABP warned, “The fake online pharmacy crisis has reached an epidemic level, they prey on prescription drug abusers and the most vulnerable members of society who rely on medicine every day for their health. They offer easy access to potent medicines without a prescription and indiscriminately push dangerous counterfeit drugs.
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