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This is a reprint of an FDA Alert [Posted 07/23/2013] AUDIENCE: Consumer, Health Professional ISSUE: FDA is taking action to remove from the market illegal products, including some labeled as dietary supplements, that claim to mitigate, treat, cure or prevent diabetes and related complications. To date, the FDA is not aware of any reports of injury or illness associated with…
Read MoreThe 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 online and physical pharmacies, hospitals,…
Read MoreIn 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 in America 101, a tutorial…
Read MoreLibby 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, from the National Association of…
Read MoreThe 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 pharmacies that skirt U.S. laws…
Read MoreOn July 11 2013 in Saint Louis, Richard J. Taylor of the United Kingdom was sentenced to 18 months in prison and required to forfeit close for $4 million in fines and penalties for his role in introducing counterfeit cancer medication into the secure U.S. drug supply chain. Taylor’s company, Richards Pharma had been found to be the source of…
Read MorePSM’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 original member associations, the Pharmaceutical…
Read MoreView larger map A La Jolla oncologist, Doctor Joel I. Bernstein, has pled guilty to charges he purchased unapproved foreign cancer medications and defrauded Medicare by claiming credit for the drugs as if they were genuine. On Tuesday July 2nd, Bernstein was sentenced to one year of probation, and required to pay over $2 million in fines and penalties for…
Read MoreInterpol-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 the results of its 6th…
Read MoreCounterfeit Drugs in America 101: a SAFEMEDICINES Tutorial for Healthcare Provider Associations July 18, 2013. Washington DC Every month brings a new story about healthcare providers in America encountering, ordering, and in some cases delivering non-FDA-approved medications from outside the secure supply chain to patients. The safety dangers to patients are paramount, but such activities are also career-ending legal events…
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