Posts by psm2016
U.S. marshals seize tainted blood thinner in Ohio
Federal authorities said Thursday they have seized some of an Ohio company's supplies of contaminated blood thinner containing material from China. U.S. marshals, acting at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, seized 11 lots of heparin from Celsus Laboratories Inc. of Cincinnati, the agency said in a news release. 6 November 2008 Read…
[...]Kenya Fights Counterfeit Drugs
Counterfeit drugs are a scourge that spans continents and patients everywhere. Sadly however, some of the most vulnerable countries such as Kenya have been deeply impacted by the problem. The World Health Organization reports that a survey performed by the National Quality Control Laboratories and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board found that almost 30 percent of drugs in Kenya are counterfeit, harming thousands of patients and representing a tremendous public health problem. In addition, a 2006 estimate indicates that counterfeit drug sales account for approximately $130 million annually in sales. Importantly, these fakes are believed to contribute to at least 200,000 of the 2.7 million deaths caused by malaria each year in Africa.
Millions at risk from fake medicines smuggled into UK
Packets of fake pills are being smuggled into high-street chemists and sold as real medicines that prevent heart attacks or fight cancer, putting the lives of millions of British patients at risk. Criminal gangs that cut their teeth selling fake Viagra on the internet and went on to push dummy drugs in poor countries are…
[...]Liang BA.* Pigs, Drugs, and Terrorists. Patient Safe Qual Healthcare. 2008 Nov 1:10-12
Abstract. Making drugs is messy. Take heparin.You raise pigs and then slaughter them. You isolate the pig intestines and cook them. Then you scrape the intestinal insides, dry them, and get them to a factory to undergo more processing (Harris, 2008). Making drugs is also expensive. Outsourcing this messy activity to countries such as China…
[...]6 men die from consuming illegal sex drugs in the last 5 months
SINGAPORE: Illegal sex drugs have claimed the lives of another six Singaporean men, bringing the death toll to 10 this year. The oldest victim is an 84-year-old man. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said the latest fatalities reinforce the serious health hazards brought about by consuming these products. 31 October 2008 Read the full story…
[...]Protect Yourself From Counterfeit Drugs
Counterfeit drugs are a rampant threat that easily cross boarders and target innocent people. You can learn about this threat by visiting the Pharmaceutical Security Institute. But how can you protect yourself from contaminated or counterfeit drugs finding their way into your medicine cabinet?
[...]Congress Joins the Battle Against Counterfeit Drugs
Signed into law last week, the PRO-IP Act is the most comprehensive IP enforcement legislation adopted by Congress in years. Not only does it increase the penalties for counterfeiting offenses that endanger public health and safety, it provides much-needed resources to at federal, state and local law enforcement levels. Additionally, the law creates the position…
[...]Smugglers of counterfeit drugs target Thailand
Wutipong Taora examines tiny pills packed in boxes, looking for evidence that fake drugs are being imported. Dubbed the "fake medicine investigator", Mr Wutipong works for the Investigation and Suppression Bureau under the Customs Department. He inspects suspicious medicine imported into the kingdom. By Wassayos Ngamkham 13 October 2008 Read the full story at bangkokpost.com.
[...]Ex-employee, Cardinal both profited in buying discounted medicine
Robert Neil Spence is a name you probably haven't heard and Cardinal Health officials would rather not discuss. He's a former Cardinal employee who pocketed more than $350,000 in kickbacks from a felon to purchase prescription drugs for the company. While the Dublin pharmaceutical supplier has been dogged this year by federal authorities for the…
[...]Warning Issued Over Influx of Counterfeit Drugs
Lawmakers called for tighter monitoring of imported drugs and medicine Thursday, expressing worries over the possible hazardous effects of fake drugs on consumers. During a parliamentary inspection of the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA), the legislators urged the agency to strengthen measures to ensure the safety of imported Chinese drugs. By Kang Hyun-kyung9 October…
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