Archive for April 2017
National Law Enforcement Group Warns That Drug Importation Will Make Opioid Crisis Worse
The Washington Examiner recently ran an op-ed by Charlie Cichon, the Executive Director of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. In it he explained how the opioid crisis will only be made worse if the U.S. allows drug importation.
[...]DOJ Cases Highlight the Dangers of Illegal Silicone Injections
Cosmetic procedures are increasingly common these days, but so are illegally run clinics that promise to improve a person’s appearance while endangering their clients’ lives for the sake of profit. Two recent cases highlight the continuing efforts of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the United Stated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to…
[...]Experts Question the Merit of Drug Importation at PSM’s “Risking Safety at all Costs”
On April 4, 2017, the Partnership for Safe Medicines hosted “Risking Safety at all Costs: How Drug Importation is Dangerous Policy,” a half-day conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Over the course of the event, former FDA commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, retired FBI Director Louis Freeh and a diverse group of…
[...]Canadian Pharmacy Board of Newfoundland & Labrador Opposes Potential U.S. Drug Importation Legislation
The Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board (NLPB), which governs and regulates all pharmacies operating in their Canadian province, has written a letter to the U.S. Congress, which bluntly states, “the importation of medicines from Canada is not the solution.”
[...]Canada Drug Center Parent Company Charged for Selling Misbranded Drugs to Americans
Canadian pharmaceutical importer Quantum Solutions and its officers have been charged with two felony counts by the DOJ. Quantum Solutions runs a dozen different pharmacy websites, including Canada Drug Center. Dr. Kenneth McCall, of the University of New England, tested prescriptions from Canada Drug Center in 2014, and found they were substandard and contaminated. Three…
[...]Canadian Pharmacists Oppose Drug Importation Bill in Congress, Suggest Looking at Long-Term Reforms
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPM), the regulatory authority in the Canadian province of Manitoba that oversees safe pharmacy practice, wrote to the United States Congress requesting that they reject the current importation bill.
[...]Levothyroxine Keeps Your Thyroid Active and Your Prescription Costs Down
Politicians have proposed allowing drug importation to lower prescription drug costs based on the false idea that all medicine is cheaper in Canada than it is here. In reality, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved generic drugs are just as affordable or cheaper in the U.S. as they are in Canada. We called several…
[...]Drug Importation Proposal Increases Opportunity for Fentanyl to Cross Border, Experts Say
University of Maryland professor Robert Freeman warns that proposed changes in U.S. laws and regulations to make the movement of drugs from other countries easier will increase fentanyl deaths in the U.S. In an editorial in The Hill, Dr. Freeman warns that the opioid abuse problem affects a greater proportion of the Canadian population…
[...]The Fallacy of Drug Importation
Former Federal Regulators, Law Enforcement Officials Dispute Rhetoric on Drug Importation Merits, Highlight the Serious Harm Posed to Patient Health Washington, D.C. — In one of the strongest challenges to drug importation proposals to date, several former federal law enforcement officials and public health experts warned of serious consequences in opening up the U.S. drug supply…
[...]UK Study Finds Fake Online Pharmacies May Feed Antibiotic Resistance
A small-scale study in the United Kingdom has found that 75% of the assessed online pharmacies that offer drugs for sale in the UK are unregistered as legitimate pharmacies, and most offer antibiotics without a prescription. This finding could be a serious driver of microbial resistance. Obtaining Antibiotics Online from within the UK: a Cross-Sectional…
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