Zambian Pharmacist Calls on Government to Empower Regulatory Agency

A Zambian pharmacist has called on the government to empower the agency in charge of issues relating to counterfeit drugs in the country, reports the Zambia Post. “The Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency needs to be equipped properly. It is a professional body that works very hard to check on the quality of medicines the Zambian patients consume.…

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration Sends Warning Letter to Illegitimate Online Pharmacy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to an online pharmacy accused of selling controlled and unapproved substances in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), according to a press release. The pharmacy, Rx-promotion, reportedly operates nearly 300 internet domain names, through which it sells and dispenses medications with…

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Personal Computers Hijacked for Online Pharmacy Promotions

Online pharmaceutical spam organization, Spamit.com, has been implicated in the use of Bredolab, a botnet that hijacked personal computers to use to spread spam. KrebsOnSecurity reported that Georg Avanesov, age 27, was arrested by Armenian police on suspicion of being the curator of Bredolab, a botnet that has infected approximately 3 million computers a month.…

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Malaria Report: New Strains, New Treatments, New Counterfeits

Three new studies highlight the hopes and fears of parents across the globe.  

A new study conducted by Dr. Nicholas White of Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand shows a significant reduction in mortality and gives hope for children with severe malaria.  

Meanwhile a study from the U.S. Agency for International Development details the pervasive infiltration of ineffective counterfeit malarial drugs.

And another study by researchers of malaria in Indonesia has found a new genetic mutation in the disease.

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India High Court Rules Malarial Drug Test Kits are Pharmaceutical Products

In Chennai, India, the Madras high court rules that malaria testing kits are pharmaceutical products, subject to the Drugs and Cosmetics Acts. It has ordered a detailed probe into the sale of fake malaria detection kits to city hospitals, and has asked the central and state governments to launch a campaign to spread awareness about…

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Nigeria Reactivates Counterfeit Drug Task Forces

The recent raid in Lagos that saw the closure of more than 1,000 counterfeit drug shops, has spurred Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reactivate the Federal Task Force on fake and counterfeit drugs. Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, made the announcement in a recent speech delivered…

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Nigeria and India Collaborate to Fight Counterfeit Drugs

The fight against counterfeit drugs affects every country and that is why it is important that nations work together to stop the deadly scourge. This fact is not lost on Nigeria, which is working with India to ensure that all medicines brought into the African nation are authentic. According to AllAfrica.com, most of the pharmaceutical products…

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11% of Ghana’s Children Under 5 Die – More Can Live if Counterfeit Drugs are Reduced

Ghanaian religious leaders committed to decreasing child mortality rates decried counterfeit drug purveyors at the 8th Annual National Catholic Health Services Conference (NCHS). The 8th NCHS Annual Conference was held at the Catholic Guest House, Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region of Ghana from October 26 to 29, 2010. The theme was “Monitoring for Continuous…

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Kenya Working Hard to Curb Counterfeit Drugs

A number of health professionals in Kenya say diseases are becoming more resistant to treatments because of the prevalence of counterfeit drugs in the country. Pharmacists in the African nation said that a campaign should be started to warn consumers that the use of counterfeit drugs can lead to more resilient strands of certain diseases,…

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