Theft of Pharmaceuticals A Major Problem in Africa

The theft of pharmaceuticals is leading to the creation of a black market for anti-malaria drugs in Africa, according to Willis Akhwale of the Kenyan Ministry of Health. Akhwale originally told the Wall Street Journal about the problem in 2005, but he says the problem remains five years later. Often times, government stores of badly-needed…

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NAFDAC Director Heads Regional Fake Drug Task Force

A director with Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) was made the head of a regional task force to fight fake drugs. Hashim Yusufu was appointed to the position by the 63rd meeting of the World Health Assembly, according to AllAfrica.com. Yusufu said that Nigeria was leading Africa's fight against…

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Fake Drug Market Tripled Since 2004 – PSM board member quoted

USA Today has reported on the growing problem of fake drugs in the world markets. Counterfeit drugs made in Asia and other emerging markets are a growing problem that’s endangering consumers’ health. Since 2004, the number of fake drug incidents has tripled to 1,700, says the Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI), which estimates the size of…

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RFID Tags Can Offer Protection From the Theft of Pharmaceuticals

  The convergence of the underlying technologies of radio broadcasts and radar, known as radio frequency identification (RFID), may be able to aid in the prevention of the theft of pharmaceuticals. The development of RFID began during WWII and began to be put to commercial uses by the late 1960s, according to Pharmaceutical Technology Magazine.…

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Orizio G, Rubinelli S, Schulz PJ, Domenighini S, Bressanelli M, Caimi L, Gelatti U. “Save 30% if you buy today”. Online pharmacies and the enhancement of peripheral thinking in consumers. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2010;19(9): 970-6.

PURPOSE: Online pharmacies (OPs) are recognized as a potential threat to public health. The growth of an unregulated global drugs market risks increasing the spread of counterfeit medicines which are often delivered to consumers without a medical prescription. The aim of the study was to assess the strategies of argumentation that OPs adopt in their…

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Zanzibar Operation Nets Counterfeit Drugs

The Zanzibar Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Board and Interpol’s Tanzania branch recently impounded a quantity of counterfeit drugs following an operation named Mamba 111. It was the first operation since the board was created and resulted in hundreds of cartons of counterfeit drugs being impounded, according to The Tanzanian Citizen. The counterfeit drugs were confiscated…

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Trial Date Set for Canadian Paralympic Champion Accused of Counterfeit Drug Sales

  A new trial date has been set for the Paralympic curling champion and retired Richmond dentist charged with trafficking counterfeit erectile dysfunction drugs. Jim Armstrong, 59 year old retired dentist and champion curler, is charged with trafficking fake erectile dysfunction medications with his 28-year-old son, a dentist from Richmond, British Columbia, according to the…

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Nigeria to Discuss Cholera Epidemic, Counterfeit Drugs with Neighbors

Officials from Nigeria and several of its neighboring countries will meet in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss the recent cholera epidemic as well as counterfeit drugs. The meetings, to be held on October 17 and 18, will focus on the epidemic that has already claimed the lives of 350 people in Nigeria, according to 234Next.com. A…

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Prominent Wisconsin Pharmacist Arrested on Counterfeit Drug Importation Charges

A Wisconsin pharmacist was recently arrested on charges that she imported and sold millions of pills of phony erectile dysfunction medication and other counterfeit drugs. Marla Ahlgrimm, who owns a number of businesses in Madison, Wisconsin, was arrested when she walked into her office while authorities were executing a search warrant, according to the Wisconsin…

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