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A clandestine fake drug factory in Colombia washes empty medication bottles before filling them with counterfeit Tazocin, a prescription antibiotic. Photo courtesy of Pfizer. On February 10th, 2017, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies wrote a letter to the U.S. Congress about the risks associated with Canadian online pharmacies. The letter, below in text and in pdf link, highlights…
Read MoreRooting out fake online pharmacy links from University websites is an endless game of whack-a-mole for University network security officers. Ephemeral pharmacy web links appear and disappear constantly on major university websites. Inspired by one of their news gathering partners, Fox 59 News in Indianapolis, Indiana did a bit of checking with the help of a local network security company…
Read MoreWith the costs of medication rising, consumers are on the lookout for discounts on the drugs they need. PSM’s Timothy Mackey offered CNN some helpful tips on how to ensure the online pharmacy you are doing business with is a legitimate source of medication. From generic drugs to prescription drug coupons and prescription assistance programs, CNN has several helpful suggestions…
Read MoreAs the price of Mylan EpiPens have skyrocketed, Consumer Reports and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies caution consumers to save money safely by taking advantage of available discounts, and steering clear of fake online pharmacies. Consumer Reports has reached out to consumers in light of recent cost hikes for life-saving EpiPens. According to Consumer Reports, some of their…
Read MoreThe National Association of Boards of Pharmacy also examines the role that fake online pharmacies are playing in distributing counterfeit pain pills laced with fentanyl. A new report from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has just been released. Titled “The Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: July 2016” it details the…
Read MoreIn an article written by Next Avenue’s Emily Gurnon, Partnership for Safe Medicines board member Jim Dahl explains why shopping at unlicensed online pharmacies is anything but harmless to U.S. consumers. While patients might be lured to unlicensed pharmacy website with the promise of savings, a counterfeit drug that doesn’t help your health is no bargain. Foreign, unlicensed drug sellers…
Read MoreIn 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 Karavetsos, director of the FDA’s…
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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.
Read MoreMississippi 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.
Read MoreBetween 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 other states that joined included…
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