Spotlight on KnujOn: Combating Counterfeits Online, Part 3

November 17, 2009

This is part three of our interview with Garth Bruen, co-founder of KnujOn, an internet compliance company. We talked to him about the KnujOn system, search engine advertising and what’s needed from regulatory bodies to protect Web users from counterfeit and substandard drug solicitations online. Read: Part 1 | Part 2 PSM: What steps have…

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Lewis K. China’s counterfeit medicine trade booming. CMAJ. 2009;181(10):E237-8.

November 16, 2009

It was a cringe-worthy moment for China when 600 000 counterfeit antimalarial tablets were intercepted by the Nigerian government in June. Produced and shipped from China, they bore an unexpected label: "Made in India." Even the fakes were being faked. It was a new low. Many things are faked in China —from Gucci sunglasses to…

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Spotlight on KnujOn: Combating Counterfeits Online, Part 2

November 16, 2009

This is part two of an interview with Garth Bruen, the co-founder of KnujOn, an internet compliance company, on the KnujOn system, search engine advertising and what’s needed from regulatory agencies to protect consumers from counterfeit medical products advertised online. Read part one of our interview. PSM: Have you noticed an uptick in the number…

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Spotlight on KnujOn: Combating Counterfeits Online, Part 1

November 13, 2009

The dangers of online pharmacies and unlicensed drug sellers are well documented. In fact, recent reports released by KnujOn, an internet compliance company, found that 80 to 90 percent of search engine-sponsored advertisements of online drug pharmacies violate federal and state laws, including selling substandard and counterfeit drugs to unsuspecting consumers. To make matters worse,…

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“Safe” Country Focus: United Kingdom

November 13, 2009

As my colleague Thomas Kubic recently noted, most supporters of drug importation have a faulty assumption that developed countries like Canada, Australia, Japan and the 27 members of the European Union (E.U.) are insulated from the global threat of counterfeit drugs. In the coming weeks, we will take a closer look at some of these so-called “safe” countries and illustrate why there is no such thing as a “safe” country when it comes to drug importation.

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Cheng MM. Is the drugstore safe? Counterfeit diabetes products on the shelves. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2009;3(6):1 516-20.

November 10, 2009

It is no longer possible to identify counterfeit medical products, including medications and devices, by simply checking packaging and labeling. Improvements in technology have made it cheaper and easier to produce fake packaging and labels, making it nearly impossible for consumers and authorities to detect counterfeits without conducting tests on the products themselves, as illustrated…

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Mapping the World of Counterfeits

November 6, 2009

Marv D. Shepherd, PhD From intellectual property violations to grave health risks, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) brings you the facts and figures regarding the harmful effects of counterfeit drugs. One of our most popular tools: the interactive map of counterfeit drug incidents. As a PSM member, the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) understands the…

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PSAs Warn Cambodians of Counterfeit Drug Dangers

October 23, 2009

Earlier this month, a public health campaign was launched in Cambodia to help raise awareness and combat the rising threat of counterfeit drugs throughout Southeast Asia. The campaign, launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention with the support of Cambodian authorities, includes a nationally broadcasted public service announcement (PSA) series titled “Pharmacide.”

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