Our June 23rd Congressional Briefing Playlist on Youtube

Bryan A. Liang, PSM (left), Melissa Madigan, NABP (center), Ilisa Bernstein, FDA (right)                     Image provided by Partnership for Safe Medicines Click the image above to view Partnership for Safe Medicines Congressional hearing presentation in full.

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Pharmaceutical Drug Crime Rising, But At A Slower Place

Since completion of its annual review of the incidence of pharmaceutical crime including the counterfeiting, illegal diversion and theft of medicines, the Pharmaceutical Security Institute has been engaged in briefings of drug regulators around the world.

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Counterfeit Inhaler Importer Sentenced in UK

One of three businessmen accused of importing and selling counterfeit asthma inhalers in the United Kingdom has been convicted and sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment for possessing 800 counterfeit asthma inhalers. Premal Gandesha, of West Drayton, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2011, to importing medicine from outside the European Economic Area through his company, Blueridge…

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Counterfeit Meds Found in Canada: Contains Ingredients Not in Authentic Product

Health Canada, the Canadian health regulatory agency, has discovered fake medication in the Toronto area that contains ingredients not found in the legitmate medication.

The seized medication is fake erectile dysfunction medication mimicking Cialis in shape, form, and similar packaging, but actually contains sildenafil, a prescription medication not found in authentic Cialis that can be very dangerous to people with heart conditions and requires careful medical supervision for use.  

Health Canada reminds consumers to look for drug identification numbers to verify authenticity. “Health products that have been authorized for sale by Health Canada will have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DINHM) or a Natural Product Number (NPN) on the label.”

The blisterpacks of the fake medication look very similar.  The logo is reproduced in larger form on the counterfeit, and the typeface is similar but incorrect.  Most notably, the counterfeit package has tadalafil written on it in four languages, including Russian.  

In addition, the authentic Cialis blister packs have a logo that changes color from copper to green when the package is tilted, which is not true of the counterfeits, reports CBC News Canada.

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Counterfeit Cialis Seized in the Greater Toronto Area

This is a reprint of the Health Canada alert. Following an R.C.M.P. seizure of counterfeit Cialis in the Greater Toronto Area, Health Canada is reminding Canadians that unauthorized and counterfeit health products can pose serious risks to their health as they have not been reviewed by the Department for safety, quality, or efficacy. The seized…

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Fake online pharmacies US Congressional briefing, Thursday June 23, 2011

Many “online pharmacies” are not pharmacies at all – they are large criminal organizations that make money by selling fake drugs with little or no active ingredient.  They are widely advertised through email spam and have convincing sounding names like “Trusted Pharmacy Co, UK.”  But they are not real pharmacies accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, nor their products regulated by the FDA.  These criminal enterprises usually reside in countries with little ability to enforce fraud and counterfeiting laws. 

To provide insights into this important public health matter, the Partnership for Safe Medicines and Senator Chris Coons hosted a briefing for members of Congress and their staff at the US Capitol Visitors Center.  You can watch the briefing below by pressing play, or watching it on YouTube.

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Counterfeit Prescription Drugs Purchased Online Suspected in Two Deaths

Gardaí issued a warning about the use of counterfeit medication following the accidental death of two men in Tralee, Ireland. Gardaí in Kerry believe counterfeit tranquilizers purchased over the internet were involved in the deaths of two men, one in his late 20s, and the other in his early 30s, reports The Irish Examiner. Detective…

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Anti-Counterfeiting Medicine Lab Opens in Southern Africa

Zambian government officials have allocated K2 billion to building a National Drug Quality Control Laboratory in Lusaka, announced the Ministry of Health. Under the authority of the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority, the goal of the laboratory is to curb the spread of counterfeit medicine within Zambia, reports the Zambia Daily Mail. Said Minster of Health Kapembwa…

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