McKesson Corp., the San Francisco-based pharmaceuticals wholesaler, is modifying its drug-buying practices to minimize chances it would distribute fake drugs that could be dispensed to the public. By Heather Won Tesoriero November 14, 2005 Read the full story at wsj.com (Subscription required).

Long a reality in foreign countries, the underworld of fake drugs is emerging as a major concern in the United States. More phony drugs are finding their way into Americans' medicine cabinets, officials say, including hundreds of counterfeit pain pills recently smuggled into Michigan in makeshift packaging of plastic baggies and Scotch tape. By Sharon Terlep November 13, 2005 Read…

LONDON, November 11 /PRNewswire/ — A new campaign launched today aims to alert patients to the potential risks of counterfeit medicines and the dangers associated with buying prescription-only medicines from unregulated Internet sites. The campaign is being run by Merck, Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD). November 11, 2005 Read the full story at allheadlinenews.com.

Americans import a "substantial and increasing" number of illegal prescription drugs, but efforts to stop the sales remain scattershot, according to a federal report released today. By Mary Pat Flaherty November 10, 2005 Read the full story at washingtonpost.com.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices will launch an educational campaign next year in an effort to reduce medication errors that result from ambiguous abbreviations and dose designations on prescriptions. By Michael Romano November 9, 2005 Read the full story at modernphysician.com.

NEW YORK – The first single-digit RFID tags are on the way. SmartCode is offering to deliver a second-generation radio frequency identification card at the bargain basement price of 7.5 cents each in 1 million unit orders. At the same time, Avery Dennison is offering second-generation labels at 7.9 cents each in million-unit orders, and RSI ID Technologies has come…

To most people, piracy invokes the music recording industry, which has been decimated by illegal peer-to-peer file sharing. And counterfeiting conjures up images of the street vendor with impossibly cheap Rolexes or hit movies on DVD. But in our digital age, anyone who has a new invention, a creative idea or a technological breakthrough is at risk of a rip-off,…

In a recent study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers explored prescription drug costs. They sent surveys to physicians nationwide, focusing on heart specialists and general practitioners. Of the more than 500 physicians who completed the survey, 93% understood their patients were concerned about out-of-pocket drug costs. Nearly as many also felt they should consider these expenses when…

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Trade Representative could no longer craft trade deals making it harder to import American-made pharmaceuticals from nations such as Canada under a measure approved by congressional negotiators on Friday. By Reuters November 4, 2005 Read the full story at reuters.com.