News
July 31, 2023: Men sentenced for selling Americans fentanyl and fentanyl pills from a Canadian prison
Federal judges sentenced two men who ran a fentanyl ring from a Canadian prison, a pharmaceutical exec who trafficked fake cough syrup, and a black market drug trafficker. Additional stories about counterfeit pills and related casualties in 21 states.
[...]July 24, 2023: Another “Operation Denial” defendant sentenced. Counterfeit scorpion antivenom warning issued in Mexico.
Pill presses prohibited in Washington state. WHO issued an alert about counterfeit cough syrup. Jury convicted four in Florida who peddled bogus COVID-19 cure. Prosecutions in 11 states involved the trafficking of counterfeit pills and related deaths.
[...]July 17, 2023: The Cooper Davis Act heads out of committee
Legislation moves forward in the Senate for social media platforms to report dealers to the DEA. A Shanghai resident sentenced for selling counterfeit cat medicine. Missouri resident sentenced for injecting clients with non-FDA-approved Botox and fillers, hurting multiple people. Stories of counterfeit pills in 17 states.
[...]Cooper Davis Act (S.1080) passes out of Senate Judiciary committee, headed to Senate floor
S.1080, which requires big tech platforms to report drug dealers they discover to the DEA, passed out of the Judiciary committee and is headed to the Senate floor.
[...]July 10, 2023: Federal operation seized unapproved medicines and medical devices at international mail facilities
Global coalition launched to combat synthetic drugs. One-third of packages examined in Operation Broader Sword contained unapproved medicines, medical devices, or precursor chemicals. Prosecutions in seven states involved the trafficking of fentanyl pills and related deaths.
[...]July 5, 2023: Federal authorities move on black market HIV drug sales
The FDA warned Safe Chain Solutions for trading with unlicensed sellers. Other black market HIV drug cases are moving forward. The CDC reported a spike in fentanyl/xylazine deaths. Authorities seized a pill press, smuggled codeine and millions of counterfeit pills made of fentanyl. Prosecutions involved the trafficking of and deaths related to fentanyl pills in 10 states.
[...]PSM board president, pharmacist explains why foreign drug importation can’t deliver.
In this editorial, which appeared in the Corpus Christi Caller on June 30, 2023, Doctor of Pharmacy Kenneth McCall shares his negative experience with imported medicines.
[...]FDA Alert: Suprimo Imports Warned by FDA After Reports of Illness and Death Due to Prescription Drug Ingredients in Their Dietary Supplements.
“On April 20, 2022, FDA warned consumers not to purchase or use “Artri Ajo King” as FDA has received adverse event reports, including of liver toxicity and death, associated with the use of “Artri Ajo King” and similarly named products. While the Agency has not sampled and tested this product from your inventory to date, be advised of our serious concern about the safety of these products and that it is your legal responsibility under federal law to ensure this product does not contain any undeclared and potentially harmful ingredients.”
[...]June 26, 2023: Fake Ozempic pen in U.S. pharmacy actually contained insulin, says Novo Nordisk
Fake Ozempic has been found in the U.S. The leader of an HIV drug counterfeiting ring got 15 years. The Justice Department indicted Chinese companies and arrested two executives who allegedly sold fentanyl precursors into the U.S. Tainted cough syrup reached at least 12 countries. Stories about counterfeit pills in 20 states.
[...]Counterfeit Ozempic found in the U.S.
On June 16, 2023 Novo Nordisk warned that a fake version of the diabetes drug Ozempic had been found in the U.S. The injection pen, which contained insulin instead of semaglutide, was reportedly purchased at a retail pharmacy. It’s one of a flurry of incidents involving Ozempic and its sister drugs.
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