Archive for June 2008

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…

(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…

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…

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…

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.…