Archive for November 2010
WHO study: African Fake Drug Rates are Dangerously High
A new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) has revealed that the prevalence of ineffective or counterfeit drugs is dangerously high in Africa, particularly in the western part of the continent. In particular, the study examined common medications used for the treatment of malaria and tuberculosis. The…
[...]Cyprus
Larnaca, Cyprus. Photo courtesy of Aapo Haapanen, via Flickr.
[...]Fake Cancer Drugs Smuggled into European Union
Police in four countries in Europe have conducted searches as part of an investigation of counterfeit cancer drugs allegedly being smuggled illegally into the European Union, according to the Cyprus Mail.
The simultaneous searches were orchestrated by the German Federal Police and were carried out by local agents in Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Cyprus.
[...]Traynor K. Counterfeit drugs pose growing health threat. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2010;67(22):1896, 1898.
Counterfeit and substandard medicines constitute a real and growing threat o public health, say federal officials and others who dal with the issue. "The problem is gettng worse each year. The counterfeiters are winning," said Jeffrey Gren, director of the Office of Health and Consumer Goods at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Counterfeit Drugs Pose…
[...]Drug Cargo Thefts Threaten Public Health
CBS Evening News reported that cargo thefts from trucks and warehouse are on the rise. In 2009, there were 864 reported cargo thefts, more than two per day, and frequency is projected to rise for 2010. The FDA is particularly concerned about prescription drug thefts, calling them “crime that threatens public health,” in a letter…
[...]Pakistani Court Denies Bail in Trial of Men Accused of Selling Counterfeit Drugs
The Sindh High Court (SHC) in Karachi, Pakistan, has rejected the bail application of two men who allegedly trafficked in counterfeit medications, according to the Daily Times. The SHC division bench consisting of Justice Gulzar Ahmad and Justuce Imam Bukhsh Balouch decided against issuing bail after hearing arguments from the prosecution against the two defendants, Muhammad…
[...]Ghana Workshop Warns of Environmental Dangers Related to Fake Drug Disposal
One of Ghana’s ministries recently held a workshop regarding the possibility of bodies of water being contaminated by counterfeit drugs. The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology held the workshop, titled “Drugs and the Environment: The Development Country Perspective,” as part of the 10th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), according to…
[...]TB Epidemic Raises Awareness of Fake Medicine in Tanzania
Awareness of the problem of counterfeit drugs is on the rise in East Africa, according to Tanzania’s The Citizen. Starting in 2008, Interpol and the World Health Organization have collaborated on the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (IMPACT), a series of anti-counterfeiting raids in Tanzania and Uganda. The news source reports that approximately 20 percent…
[...]Silva N. Tacking the Booming Trade in Counterfeit Drugs. Lancet. 2010;376(9754):1725-6
The black market in counterfeit drugs is worth billions, but it does untold damage to the health of the poorest populations. Nayanah Siva reports on international efforts to tackle the problem. Tackling the Booming Trade in Counterfeit Drugs
[...]Russian Man Accused of Running Online Pharmacy Promoter Claims Innocence
The Russian man accused of running a website responsible for a large percentage of the world’s online pharmacy spam has claimed his innocence, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Igor Gusev, 31, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by Russian authorities who believe he was responsible for paying spammers to advertise online pharmacies that sold erectile…
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