Archive for August 2005

WASHINGTON — The guests thought they were headed to an early afternoon wedding on a yacht docked near Atlantic City. They ended up in jail instead, courtesy of an elaborate ruse by federal authorities hoping to bust up an international smuggling ring. By Mark Sherman August 22, 2005 Read the full story at chicagotribune.com.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone who has visited a doctor for even the most minor of medical complaints and been presented with a prescription for a vast array of colorful pills that the call for Western pharmaceuticals in Taiwan is huge. By Gavin Phipps August 21, 2005 Read the full story…

Ever wondered why sometimes you take a drug but your condition worsens instead of improving? Chances are that you are on a counterfeit drug. Industry sources reveal that over 50 per cent of all medicines in the Kenyan market are counterfeits. By Wandera Ojanji August 17, 2005 Read the full story at eastandard.net.

Doctors in the U.S. are becoming concerned about a coincidence that puts travelers at risk for dangerous mix-ups in prescription medications: Drugs in foreign countries sometimes have the same brand name as U.S. medications, but contain completely different ingredients. By Marilyn Chase August 16, 2005 Read the full story at wsj.com (Subscription required).

Illegal sales of counterfeit medicines are booming, fuelled by a combination of the arrival of lifestyle drugs for "embarrassing" conditions such as impotence, hair loss and obesity and their easy marketing on the internet, Britain's drugs watchdog said yesterday. By Celia Hall, Medical Editor August 16, 2005 Read the full story at telegraph.co.uk.

BEIJING — Whether they're bought in a hospital or on a street corner, pharmaceuticals are hot in China. By Ted Evanoff and J.K. Wall August 14, 2005 Read the full story at indystar.com.

Three men connected with a Denver business are accused of making and selling counterfeit brand-name prescription drugs, including Fosamax for osteoporosis and Cialis for erectile dysfunction. By Karen Abbott August 12, 2005 Read the full story at rockymountainnews.com.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Analysis of 631,789 drug price searches made on the PharmacyChecker.com (http://www.pharmacychecker.com ) in 2004 reveals that the 20 most popular drugs searched were not narcotics and not necessarily the top selling drugs, but popular drugs for which significant savings can be found online. August 11, 2005 Read the full story at…

FRANKFORT— Kentucky Bureau of Investigation agents confiscated 58 packages of illegally shipped prescription drugs from the Lexington FedEx Distribution Center — the second such bust in the last week. By Ryan Alessi August 10, 2005 Read the full story at kentucky.com.