Policy/Enforcement News

Singapore's Minister for Health, Mr. Khaw Boon Wan, emphasized the importance of improving the "safety, efficacy and quality of medicines worldwide" for the International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA) at the World Health Organization's 14th International Conference on November 30th.  The International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities meets biannually to discuss disease demographics and…

China’s Commerce Department announced an increase in enforcement over counterfeit products in China, including medicines, said Jiang Zengwei at a news conference, as he promised closer cooperation with the United States, Japan and Europe. According to the Associated Press reporting in the Washington Post, trade groups say Chinese goods piracy is growing despite repeated attempts…

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York dropped charges against Marla Ahlgrimm on November 5th without explanation. Ms. Ahlgrimm, a registered pharmacist, had been charged with counterfeit drug distribution along with a a Middleton, Wisconsin resident, Balbir Bhogal in September, reports the Associated Press in the Chicago Tribune. Ms. Ahlgrimm is a prominent…

On November 18, after a year-long law enforcement partnership between federal, state and local officials, approximately 30 federal search warrants were issued in Mississippi in search of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. A team of nearly 100 law enforcement agents participated in the operation, according to a press release from the Mississippi’s Attorney General’s Office. The operations involved…

A Chinese citizen in the US was recently sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison in Texas for selling counterfeit drugs. United States Attorney José Angel Moreno recently announced that Kum Leung Chow, who was also known as Lawrence Chow, will be sent to federal prison for "conspiring to distribute counterfeit pharmaceuticals…

The governor of a state in Nigeria has expressed his support for the country's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control's (NAFDAC) fight against counterfeit drugs. Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam said that counterfeit drugs are a major concern in the country, particularly in its rural areas, according to the Vanguard. Suswam expressed his…

Three people have been hit with charges related to the burglary of a pharmacy in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune. Reddon’s Pharmacy was robbed on October 29 by Darryl Chaffee, 36, and Jerrod Decker, 24, who stole up to $100,000 worth of prescription medications. Chaffee and Decker have been charged with felony theft,…

Malaysia’s Drug Control Agency (DCA) has banned the sale, possession, distribution and consumption of two unregulated traditional products found to contain controlled drugs, reports Malaysian national news agency Bernama. DCA analysis of the two products revealed the presence of regulated substances that may only be legally obtained with a prescription.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) in Karachi, Pakistan, has rejected the bail application of two men who allegedly trafficked in counterfeit medications, according to the Daily Times. The SHC division bench consisting of Justice Gulzar Ahmad and Justuce Imam Bukhsh Balouch decided against issuing bail after hearing arguments from the prosecution against the two defendants, Muhammad…

One of Ghana’s ministries recently held a workshop regarding the possibility of bodies of water being contaminated by counterfeit drugs. The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology held the workshop, titled “Drugs and the Environment: The Development Country Perspective,” as part of the 10th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), according to…