Archive for July 2011
New Spectral Database for Counterfeit Drugs
Swiss researchers have developed a database of fake medicines using Raman spectrometry data in order to help investigators follow the counterfeit distribution chain from manufacturers to distributors internationally. The University of Lausanne and Roche are using near-infrared and Raman spectra, as well as gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy…
[...]Harrisburg Pharmacist Sentenced for Running Fake Online Pharmacy
A Pennsylvania licensed pharmacist who operated a brick and mortar pharmacy in Harrisburg, PA, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for illegally distribution pain medication and stimulants over the internet. Stephen L. Marks, 67, formerly of Carlisle, PA, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances and money laundering. At his plea, he admitted…
[...]Liang BA.*, Mackey TK. Promoting online drug safety: Using Public–Private Partnerships to Deter Illicit Online Drug Sales. J Commer Biotechnol. (2011) 17, 266–271
Illicit online pharmacies selling counterfeit drugs in a global virtual marketplace remain a critical problem in global health. Yet they continue to operate with little regulation while growing numbers of consumers access the Internet for health information that may lead them to purchase dangerous drugs online. This global social problem requires immediate action to protect…
[...]Americans Using Fake Pharmacies to Treat Serious Illness More than EU and Canada
Screenshot of an Eva brand fake online pharmacy UCSD researchers have collected data that shows that 33% of medications purchased by Americans from a fake Internet pharmacy affiliate program are for serious illness. They estimate that 85% of all serious illness medication purchased online from fake online pharmacies is purchased by Americans. Researchers at the University…
[...]Screenshot of Eva brand fake pharmacy
Screenshot of an Eva brand fake online pharmacy
[...]Counterfeit Medicine Distributors Sentenced in the UK
Two Bristol men pleaded guilty in Bristol Crown Court to supplying and distributing counterfeit medication made in China to the UK and Europe. Graham Dawson, 29, admitted he contacted counterfeit drug producers in China and used Colin Proctor, 29, to send shipments received from China to destinations across the UK and Europe, reported the Bristol…
[...]Illinois Man Convicted of Shipping Meds for Fake Online Pharmacy
An Illinois resident pleaded guilty in Federal Court to conspiracy to distribute and dispenses Schedule III and IV controlled substances and to illegal use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug crime by shipping drug orders for fake online pharmacy customers. Steven B. Immergluck, 35, of Aurora, IL, pleaded guilty without a trial. Immergluck…
[...]“Man Up Now” Removed From Sale at Delta and Surrey Stores: May Pose Serious Health Risks to Canadians
This is a reprint of the Health Canada alert. The issue: An unauthorized health product, "Man Up Now" was removed from sale at "O! Behave" retail stores in Delta and Surrey, B.C. after Health Canada's testing identified undeclared sildenafil, a prescription medication in this product. "Man Up Now" is promoted for sexual enhancement and may…
[...]More than Half of all Sales to Rogue Internet Pharmacies Were Processed by the Top 7 Banks
The top seven card-issuing banks were processors for more than half of all medicine sales to the largest fake Internet pharmacies in the past four years. Brian Krebs reports that sales data stolen from Glavmed, a Russian affiliate program that pays webmasters to host and promote fake online pharmacies, show that card-issuing banks are key…
[...]Owner of Rogue Pharmacy Network Arrested for Employing Hackers
Pavel Vrublevsky, co-owner of Rx-Promotion, a rogue online pharmacy affiliate network, as well as ChronoPay, the largest online payment processor in Russia, has been arrested by Russian authorities for allegedly hiring a hacker to attack a rival payment processing company. Russian state news, Vesti, reports that Vrublevsky allegedly hired a hacker who debilitated the current…
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