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Bryan A. Liang, MD, PhD, JD
According to some sources, there are at least 1,000 Web sites selling prescription drugs. Of course, not all of which are legitimate. Considering the sheer number of hits an Internet search for "online pharmacy" returns, it's not surprising that the U.S. Senate has put the Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2007 on its legislative calendar.
A first-in-the-nation plan to keep counterfeit prescription drugs from reaching consumers was put on hold again Tuesday by the state Board of Pharmacy at a meeting in San Diego. It was the second two-year delay for the start of a statewide electronic pedigree drug-tracking program first approved by the Legislature and governor in 2004. It would require factory-to-patient tracking of…
Read MoreNew laws are now in place to deal with the influx of bogus and hazardous medical products and services to the country. The announcement made this week by the Attorney General, Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli, at the opening of the Legal Year 2008 on the Medicines Order 2007 is another important measure that could…
Read MoreAlong with the international trades in narcotics, armaments and looted antiquities, trafficking in counterfeit drugs is one of the most lucrative. Counterfeit medical products are a major public-health risk for all communities and the trade has grown in recent years as counterfeiting methods have become more sophisticated and the amount of merchandise crossing borders has increased. Speaking on an Australian…
Read MoreIt would be hard to argue against the benefits of pharmaceuticals. Their development and use has led to life-prolonging effects such as lowering many people's blood pressure and cholesterol, boosting the immune system of HIV positive patients, and even the remission of some types of cancer. But what happens when these drugs we have so come to depend on contain…
Read MoreFederal drug regulators, in announcing Wednesday that the mystery contaminant in heparin was an inexpensive, unapproved ingredient altered to mimic the real thing, moved closer to concluding that Americans might be the latest victims of lethal Chinese drug counterfeiting. The finding by the Food and Drug Administration culminated a worldwide race to identify the substance discovered early this month in…
Read MoreChina's State Food and Drug Administration has exposed 25 websites that have been involved in illegal selling of medicines. These websites include the fake websites of the Diabetes Treatment Center of China TCM Higher Medical Institute, the Diabetes Treatment Center of Chinese Herbal Medicine Research Institute, China Diabetes Recovery Website, International Beijing Chinese Herbal Medicine Diabetes Research Center, Beijing Chinese…
Read MoreHealthcare spending and prices are on the rise—again. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that overall healthcare spending in America will reach $4.3 trillion annually by 2017. Given that healthcare costs are increasing at nearly three times the rate of inflation, it's no wonder Americans are seeking ways to keep their healthcare costs low.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. health regulators said on Wednesday they have identified a contaminant found in batches of Baxter International Inc's blood-thinner heparin that were linked to serious reactions and deaths. Food and Drug Administration officials said they are trying to determine whether the chemical — over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate — was purposely or inadvertently added during manufacturing in China. By…
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