June 30, 2008
On June 27th, investigators caught Angela Hurst, the alleged ring leader of the group, who uses fake prescriptions to buy drugs like Lortab from Mobile County pharmacies. She then turns around and sell the drugs on the streets.
June 27, 2008
Selena Walrond, who weighed 15st and was 5ft 3in tall, was so obsessed with being slim that she took five times the recommended daily dose.
June 19, 2008
Some of the counterfeit drugs are as much as 50-per-cent stronger than the genuine product, said Cpl. Norm Massie of the RCMP's Border Integrity Program. Others are less than half the recommended strength.
Drug counterfeiting "used to be marginal, it is now totally industrialized," Jean-Francois Dehecq said in a presentation here at the annual meeting of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.
June 17, 2008
The agency is also cautioning consumers not to buy or use these products, which include tablets, teas, tonics, black salves, and creams, and are sold under various names on the Internet.
Pharmacy board chairman for Kenema and Kailahun districts, Sahr Sylvanus Komba said all the destroyed drugs do not have any seal of origin and they come into Sierra Leone through the country's porous borders citing Kailahun district which has about 56 illicit crossing points.
June 13, 2008
"Some of the counterfeit drugs are substandard and usually do not have the active ingredients required to treat malaria," Dorothy Otieno, an officer in the Ministry of Medical Services' malarial control division, told IRIN.
June 12, 2008
June 11, 2008
But these groups have found that the most profit and growth potential lies in actually shipping the fake Viagra and other products they're hawking, according to a study scheduled for release today by a top security researcher.
June 10, 2008
The problem of counterfeit medicine is an acute and burning problem in Russia. It has even become a cause of serious concern for both the government as well as for physicians, medical experts and patients. According to some polls, about 40 percent of Russian citizens fear that they are taking either counterfeit medicine or medicine of poor quality. According to the estimate of experts, the share of counterfeit medicine on the Russian market is a staggering 12 percent of the total production.
Seizures of bogus prescription medicines jumped 24 percent to 1,513 incidents in 2007, and illicit versions of 403 different prescription drugs were confiscated in 99 countries, according to the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, a Vienna, Virginia-group funded by 26 drugmakers.
June 09, 2008
HYDERABAD: A Srinivas, a patient at the Osmania General Hospital, was given an anaesthesia shot just before an operation. He was supposed to be in an unconscious state for two hours, but he regained consciousness within half-an-hour as the drug’s effect wore off.
Perturbed by such incidents in recent days, OGH doctors have complained to AP Health and Medical Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APHMHIDC) about inferior quality of drugs being supplied to them by pharma companies.
June 08, 2008
CHENNAI: A shortage of drug inspectors and the poor functioning of the intelligence cell are the major causes for the rise in sale of spurious and fake drugs in the state, according to sources in the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Administration (TNDCA).
According to the sources, since 1982 no new drug inspector has been appointed. There are only around 40 drug inspectors in the state as against the sanctioned strength of 75.
Most counterfeit pharmaceuticals are purchased through the Internet, but more and more are being found in shipments on cargo planes arriving from Asia. Last year, customs in Finland seized over 120 000 doses of fake medications.
The only requirement is that individuals, organisations, retail chains and private hospitals who want to trade in cheap drugs should register with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) beforehand, said the bill’s main sponsor, Senator Manuel Roxas.
June 07, 2008
NEW DELHI - Two recent reports by international health organizations have highlighted the disquieting magnitude of the counterfeit drugs market in India.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reckons that 75% of the world's total supply of fake drugs can be traced to India. The World Health Organization (WHO) pegs the figure at 35%.
June 05, 2008
June 03, 2008
As a follow up, her ophthalmologist wrote her prescriptions for different kinds of eye drops. Unfortunately, when Hanin’s parents went to have her prescriptions filled, the pharmacy gave them the wrong prescribed medicines.
Prescription drug ring bust
PRICHARD, Ala. -- Prichard Police are slamming the door on a prescription drug ring responsible for more than 300 fake prescriptions. "For the city of Prichard, this is the first one that we've encountered that has the magnitude that we normally see when we're dealing with cocaine and marijuana," said Prichard Police Chief Lawrence Battiste IV.On June 27th, investigators caught Angela Hurst, the alleged ring leader of the group, who uses fake prescriptions to buy drugs like Lortab from Mobile County pharmacies. She then turns around and sell the drugs on the streets.
By Cary Chow
30 June 2008
Read the full story at myfoxgulfcoast.com.
Posted by jclass at 03:06 AM
Woman dies after buying banned slimming pills on the internet
A young woman desperate to lose weight died in agony a day after taking a lethal dose of a banned fat-burning drug she bought over the internet.Selena Walrond, who weighed 15st and was 5ft 3in tall, was so obsessed with being slim that she took five times the recommended daily dose.
By Rebecca Camber
27 June 2008
Read the full story at dailymail.co.uk.
Posted by jclass at 03:04 AM
Fake erectile dysfunction drugs flooding Vancouver
Police and customs agencies are intercepting frequent shipments of counterfeit erectile dysfunction drugs coming into Canada through Vancouver, an RCMP expert attempting to rein in the illegal industry said Monday.Some of the counterfeit drugs are as much as 50-per-cent stronger than the genuine product, said Cpl. Norm Massie of the RCMP's Border Integrity Program. Others are less than half the recommended strength.
By David Hogben
17 June 2008
Read the full story at canada.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:39 PM
Counterfeiting Underestimated For Too Long - Sanofi Chairman
PARIS -(Dow Jones)- Drug counterfeiting has been underestimated for too long, Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) Chairman said Thursday, also calling for more action from the European Union.Drug counterfeiting "used to be marginal, it is now totally industrialized," Jean-Francois Dehecq said in a presentation here at the annual meeting of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.
By Laetitia Bachelot-Fontaine
19 June 2008
Read the full story at cnn.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:39 PM
FDA Warns Companies to Stop Selling Fake Cancer Cures
(HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent letters warning more than two dozen companies to stop selling fraudulent products that claim to prevent or cure cancer.The agency is also cautioning consumers not to buy or use these products, which include tablets, teas, tonics, black salves, and creams, and are sold under various names on the Internet.
By Steven Reinberg
17 June 2008
Read the full story at usnews.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:42 PM
Sierra Leone: Pharmacy Board Destroys Le 31 Million Fake Drugs
The Sierra Leone Pharmacy Board has destroyed sub-standard and counterfeit drugs worth over Le 31 million at the Kenema Government Hospital.Pharmacy board chairman for Kenema and Kailahun districts, Sahr Sylvanus Komba said all the destroyed drugs do not have any seal of origin and they come into Sierra Leone through the country's porous borders citing Kailahun district which has about 56 illicit crossing points.
By Mohamed Vandi
17 June 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:40 PM
Kenya: Dodgy Drugs Hamper Fight Against Malaria
The presence of large quantities of ineffective or counterfeit anti-malarial drugs on the Kenyan market is hampering efforts to fight the disease, according to health officials."Some of the counterfeit drugs are substandard and usually do not have the active ingredients required to treat malaria," Dorothy Otieno, an officer in the Ministry of Medical Services' malarial control division, told IRIN.
13 June 2008
Read the full story at allafrica.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:41 PM
Concerns raised about fake medicines entering OECS
The OECS has mounted an advocacy campaign to help identify and deal with counterfeit medicines. A series of regional consultations facilitated by the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (PPS) started in Castries, St. Lucia on 5 June to highlight the issue. The PPS reported that participants were amazed at the magnitude and dangers posed by counterfeit drugs.12 June 2008
Read the full story at antiguasun.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:53 PM
Spammers are Making Real Money on Counterfeit Drugs
Cyber-crime pays. But selling counterfeit drugs apparently pays better. Some of the world's most prolific spammers used to tout products for a few pennies per million e-mails or con consumers into forking over credit card information.But these groups have found that the most profit and growth potential lies in actually shipping the fake Viagra and other products they're hawking, according to a study scheduled for release today by a top security researcher.
By Joseph Menn
11 June 2008
Read the full story at latimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 10:16 AM
Counterfeit Drugs: A Threat to Russia’s Security
The problem of counterfeit medicine is an acute and burning problem in Russia. It has even become a cause of serious concern for both the government as well as for physicians, medical experts and patients. According to some polls, about 40 percent of Russian citizens fear that they are taking either counterfeit medicine or medicine of poor quality. According to the estimate of experts, the share of counterfeit medicine on the Russian market is a staggering 12 percent of the total production.
By Alexei Peskov
10 June 2008
Read the full story at mnweekly.ru.
Posted by jclass at 11:41 PM
Counterfeit Drugs: A Threat to Russia’s Security
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.The problem of counterfeit medicine is an acute and burning problem in Russia. It has even become a cause of serious concern for both the government as well as for physicians, medical experts and patients. According to some polls, about 40 percent of Russian citizens fear that they are taking either counterfeit medicine or medicine of poor quality. According to the estimate of experts, the share of counterfeit medicine on the Russian market is a staggering 12 percent of the total production.
By Alexei Peskov
10 June 2008
Read the full story at mnweekly.ru.
Posted by jclass at 10:20 AM
Illegal Viagra Leads 24% Jump in Counterfeit Medicine Seizures
(Bloomberg) -- Counterfeit medicines are on the rise worldwide, as criminals capitalize on the growing use of the Internet by consumers searching for inexpensive drugs.Seizures of bogus prescription medicines jumped 24 percent to 1,513 incidents in 2007, and illicit versions of 403 different prescription drugs were confiscated in 99 countries, according to the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, a Vienna, Virginia-group funded by 26 drugmakers.
By Allan Dodds Frank
10 June 2008
Read the full story at bloomberg.com.
Posted by jclass at 10:17 AM
Counterfeit drugs cause for anxiety at OGH
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.HYDERABAD: A Srinivas, a patient at the Osmania General Hospital, was given an anaesthesia shot just before an operation. He was supposed to be in an unconscious state for two hours, but he regained consciousness within half-an-hour as the drug’s effect wore off.
Perturbed by such incidents in recent days, OGH doctors have complained to AP Health and Medical Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APHMHIDC) about inferior quality of drugs being supplied to them by pharma companies.
Koride Mahesh
9 Jun 2008
Read the full story at indiatimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:04 PM
With no one to check, sales of counterfeit drugs rise
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.CHENNAI: A shortage of drug inspectors and the poor functioning of the intelligence cell are the major causes for the rise in sale of spurious and fake drugs in the state, according to sources in the Tamil Nadu Drug Control Administration (TNDCA).
According to the sources, since 1982 no new drug inspector has been appointed. There are only around 40 drug inspectors in the state as against the sanctioned strength of 75.
By Vivek Narayan
8 June 2008
Read the full story at indiatimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 01:07 PM
Growing Seizures of Counterfeit Drugs
Finnish Customs has been seizing a growing volume of counterfeit medications. Officials say that they expect an ever sharper upswing during the summer months.Most counterfeit pharmaceuticals are purchased through the Internet, but more and more are being found in shipments on cargo planes arriving from Asia. Last year, customs in Finland seized over 120 000 doses of fake medications.
8 June 2008
Read the full story at yle.fi.
Posted by jclass at 01:05 PM
Philippines removes all roadblocks to parallel imports
Any person or group in the Philippines can now legally import cheaper versions of branded medicines and sell them to the public, following the signing into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 6 of the long-awaited Universally Acceptable Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008.The only requirement is that individuals, organisations, retail chains and private hospitals who want to trade in cheap drugs should register with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) beforehand, said the bill’s main sponsor, Senator Manuel Roxas.
By Lynne Taylor
08 June 2008
Read the full story at pharmatimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 10:18 AM
Counterfeit Drugs a Bitter Pill for India
The proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the global market and easy availability via online pharmacies is an increasing problem. The makers of counterfeit drugs have enjoyed and profited from loopholes in a system designed to deliver healthy medicines to those in need. The rising cost of prescription medications and the ubiquitous presence of online and overseas pharmacies means more people than ever are threatened by these counterfeiting operations.NEW DELHI - Two recent reports by international health organizations have highlighted the disquieting magnitude of the counterfeit drugs market in India.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reckons that 75% of the world's total supply of fake drugs can be traced to India. The World Health Organization (WHO) pegs the figure at 35%.
By Neeta Lal
7 June 2008
Read the full story at atimes.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:19 AM
6 Die After Receiving Antibody Injections in China
BEIJING (AP) - Six people have died after being injected with a human antibody in eastern China, a hospital spokeswoman said Monday, the latest case of deaths caused by suspect medicine. The six died after being injected with immune globulin, and the company that sold the drugs was ordered to stop selling them, said a spokeswoman at the No. 2 Hospital at Nanchang University in Jiangxi province. The spokeswoman, who would give only her last name Yu, did not provide any other details. Immune globulin is an antibody extracted from blood plasma that can be injected into muscles to protect against hepatitis A, and Rhesus disease in pregnant women. It is rarely used to protect against hepatitis A in developed countries where a childhood vaccination is normally given. A spokeswoman for China's State Food and Drug Administration, Yan Jiangying, confirmed the six had died. A notice on the administration's Web site said an initial inspection of samples of the antibody confirmed there were some abnormalities. A notice on the Web site of the Jiangxi Food and Drug Administration said the people died between May 22 and May 28. The drugs were produced by Jiangxi Boya Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., and had the same batch number, the notice said. The State Food and Drug Administration and the Health Ministry ordered the company to suspend sales last week and recall the batch of immune globulin, the administration said on its Web site. China's pharmaceutical industry is highly lucrative but spottily regulated, enticing some to try to cash in by substituting fake or substandard ingredients. In April, five officials from a Chinese pharmaceutical company that sold a tainted antibiotic responsible for more than a dozen deaths were sentenced up to seven years in prison. © 2008 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved.2 June 2008
Associated Press Newswires
Posted by safemedicines at 04:56 PM
Over 60% of Medicines Sold by Online Pharmacies are Counterfeit
The European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM) has today unveiled its comprehensive research report -- The Counterfeiting Superhighway. The report revealed that a frightening 62% of medicines purchased online are fake or substandard. These include medicines indicated to treat serious conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease, neurological disorders, and mental health conditions.05 June 2008
Read the full story at earthtimes.org.
Posted by jclass at 11:21 AM
When the Cure Becomes the Killer
Three year-old Hanin was born with cataracts in both eyes. Her parents did not realize this until she was three months old. The little girl underwent routine cataracts-removal surgery at a local hospital when she was six months old. The operation was deemed a success.As a follow up, her ophthalmologist wrote her prescriptions for different kinds of eye drops. Unfortunately, when Hanin’s parents went to have her prescriptions filled, the pharmacy gave them the wrong prescribed medicines.
By Thuria Ghaleb
03 June 2008
Read the full story at yobserver.com.
Posted by jclass at 11:24 AM