June 16, 2025: Congress passes the HALT Fentanyl Act
Major Stories
The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act (HALT Fentanyl Act) is heading to the White House for signing. The bill permanently schedules fentanyl analogues as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act and lays out a registration process for research into Schedule I drugs. PSM has been supporting this legislation since it was first introduced in 2021 during the 117th Congress. Read our April 2021 explainer to understand how it will help the enforcement and prosecution of criminals selling counterfeit medicines that contain fentanyl-related substances.
Domestic News
New York pharmacists lobbied for a PBM reform bill. Pill press prosecutions moved forward in Georgia and Missouri.
Independent pharmacy owners in New York spoke in support of A10327, the Patient Access to Pharmacy Act. The state bill would stop pharmacy benefit managers from reimbursing independent pharmacies below their costs for dispensing prescription drugs.
A federal jury in Georgia indicted an Atlanta-area man for running a large pill press operation. A search of two of his residences and a machine shop on June 5 yielded more than 400 pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in powder and pill form, two large pill press machines, 564 punch dies, 1375 pounds of binding agent used to press pills, $145,000 and dozens of firearms.
A jury convicted St. Louis, Missouri resident Christopher Glen Rhodes of drug and firearm charges for trafficking methamphetamine. Investigators seized kilograms of illicit drugs, $21,000 in cash, a handgun, and drug paraphernalia, including a pill press, from his home in December 2022.
PSM keeps track of pill press incidents on our Illegal Pill Presses page. Learn more about the issue.
Legislation
In Nevada, Governor Lombardo signed SB 494, which established the Nevada Health Authority, a new agency that will assume some of the functions of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, including tracking prescription drug costs and managing Medicaid. The governor also vetoed AB 259, which would have set maximum fair prices on certain prescription drugs.
PSM monitors new state legislation weekly in the areas of pill presses, prescription drug affordability boards, and drug importation. You can follow our tracking of state legislation in these places by clicking on the topic links above.
Patient safety issues in the GLP-1 space this week
Reddit, June 15, 2025
GLP-1 medicines offer important treatment for obesity and diabetes under the care of a physician. Doctors check the patient’s clinical fit for treatment. For example, some patients may be at greater risk for the side effect detailed above, gastroparesis, a painful condition that can lead to chronic dehydration and malnutrition. Self-medicating with illicit drugs purchased from the internet that claim to be retatrutide can lead to painful and debilitating suffering.
International News
Authorities in India busted another ring selling fake cancer drugs. Additional news in Vietnam and Ghana.
Eight chemists and medical representatives in Delhi, India were arrested after they allegedly distributed counterfeit oncology medicines, including Opdivo, Pembrolizumab, Cetuximab, Lenvatinib and seven other treatments. The drugs were imported from Egypt, Turkey, and unspecified Asian countries.
After several high profile incidents involving counterfeit medicines, including antibiotics and diabetes medicines, people in Vietnam are questioning whether fines for selling fake medicine are high enough to deter the trade.
Authorities in Ghana seized 25 cartons (150,000 pills) of tramadol, 75 cartons of amodioquine hydrochloride (an antimalarial), as well as sildenafil and analgesics being smuggled into the country.