Archive for 2012
House Doubles Maximum Sentence for Counterfeit Drug Crime
H.R. 3668, the Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act, was approved by the House of Representatives on June 18, 2012. Sponsored by Representatives Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), Tom Marino (R-Pa.), and Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), the House bill has stiffer penalties for drug counterfeiters than the Senate approved version. Reports Bloomberg BNA, the House version of the bill…
[...]Hamburg Seeks Stronger Penalties for Drug Counterfeiters
FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg seeks stronger penalties to fight counterfeit drug trafficking, saying, “We need legal authorities to give teeth to our action. We are increasingly concerned that this is becoming an attractive area for bad guys, including organized crime,” reported The Financial Times. Dr. Hamburg told the Financial Times that current penalties for…
[...]FDA Says Buy from US State-Licensed Pharmacies to Avoid Counterfeit Meds
The US Food and Drug Administration is advising American consumers in a new campaign to avoid counterfeit medications by purchasing only from US state-licensed pharmacies.
[...]FDA Poster
WHO Prequalifies 5 Anti-Malaria Drugs Made in China
World Health Organization (WHO) representative Michael O’Leary has announced that China now has five anti-malaria drugs that have met WHO standards for prequalification. China Daily reports that a study released in January 2012 by the Wellcome Trust cites Chinese manufacturers as a major source of counterfeit anti-malaria drugs in Asia and Africa. Head researcher…
[...]FDA Cites 2 Canadian Pharmacies for Offering Unapproved Drugs to Americans
On May 24, 2012, Thomas Christi, Acting Office Director for the FDA’s Office of Drug Security, Integrity and Recalls sent warning letters to Pharmawest Pharmacy and Best Price Rx, two Canadian pharmacies known by their websites www.bestpricerx.com and www.northwestpharmacy.com. The warning letters state that the FDA has determined that the companies’ websites “offer an unapproved…
[...]Canadian Online Pharmacy Owner Indicted in US Federal Court for Selling Counterfeit Drugs To Americans
Canadian citizen Andrew Strempler, 38, founder of Mediplan, which fulfilled online medicine orders for ten websites, appeared in federal court in Miami on Thursday, June 14, 2012. He is expected to be arraigned on charges related to a 2005 seizure of drugs shipped by Mediplan into the US. The medications were purported to be Canadian, but US FDA officials claim the medications were actually from other countries, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC).
[...]Andrew Strempler Photograph
Andrew Strempler, third from left, holds pharmacy orders. Jan 3, 2002 photo used with permission from the Canadian Press.
[...]World Anti Counterfeiting Day Puts Spotlight on Fake Medicines
Washington, D.C. (June 7, 2012) – Marv Shepherd, PhD, president of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, today released the following statement marking World Anti Counterfeiting Day: “The criminals that market and distribute fake medicines are the worst kind of counterfeiters. By knowingly selling products that are harmful and potentially deadly, drug counterfeiters pose a serious…
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