Policy/Enforcement News
Fake Medicine From China and India Intercepted by UK Border Agency
A British resident was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment for the importation and possession of counterfeit medicine in Northampton Crown Court. Victor Cheke, 42, was convicted of importing packages of medicinal products originating from China and India which were intercepted by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) en route to Cheke. Analysis of the drugs revealed…
[...]Larry Page Knew About Unlicensed Online Pharmacy Ads, Says US Attorney
As part of the Department of Justice’s settlement with Google for $500 million for accepting advertising money from unlicensed online pharmacies, the DOJ has agreed to seal from the public evidence of wrong doing by Google executives, including CEO Larry Page. The Justice Department said that the advertisements led to illegal imports of prescription drugs…
[...]Canadian Doctor Convicted of Bringing Unapproved Medicine Into US to Treat NFL and MLB Players
A Toronto doctor pleaded guilty to felony charges of smuggling unapproved drugs into the US to treat American professional football and baseball players. Dr. Anthony Galea, 51, faces a maximum sentenced of three years in prison and $500,000 of fines and forfeitures, for providing unapproved medical treatments to professional athletes, including players in the National…
[...]Suspicious Botox and Laser Treatments Delivered at Hand of Fake Doctor, Indictment Accuses
A Utah Grand Jury returned 26 counts of mail and wire fraud against two Utah residents allegedly involved in a cosmetic surgery business operating without a supervising doctor and selling medications without prescriptions or medical oversight. Potentially sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and $1 million fine for each count of mail fraud, William Ricker Ferguson,…
[...]Hijacked Websites Give False Sense of Security for Online Pharmacy Clients
1/3 of every online search for prescription drug information is redirected to illicit online drug sellers. Legitimate websites are invaded by hackers who put code into the website that re-directs to a fake online pharmacy. Meanwhile, the legitimate website shows up in the search results, giving the potential customer comfort from a trustworthy brand, who…
[...]8,000 Fake Pills Seized in Cincinnati
In a swell of 1,000 pounds of fake, illegal substances intercepted this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a package of counterfeit medicine containing 8,000 pills falsely identified as “harmless generic medicine.” Reports the Business Courier, officers inspected the package from India and found it contained counterfeit medication with the active ingredient tadalafil, which…
[...]Drug Shortages Opening the Door to Counterfeits in the US Warns Report
Drug shortages are driving desperate pharmacy managers to purchase from parallel importation sources that suspiciously have drugs that the manufacturers don’t – are they selling fake medication, stolen, or mishandled, or is it real? 360 drug shortages are predicted for 2011, reports Premier healthcare alliance, in a whitepaper dated August 2011, with the majority of…
[...]Fake Online Pharmacy Alert Makes the Case for a Closed Medicine Supply
By Dr. Marv Shepherd President, Partnership for Safe Medicines More than ever, American consumers are turning to the Internet to purchase goods at discounted rates. However, the online search for deals has taken a dangerous turn, as consumers look for cheap prescription medicines online at what appear to be legitimate pharmacies. Unfortunately, many people are…
[...]Fake Online “Canadian” Pharmacy Sold Meds Through Trojan Software
A Trojan installed on victims computers, called Win32.Kelihos.b, is responsible for sending spam on behalf of a fake “Canadian pharmacy.” Computer researchers discovered that a group running a botnet used P2P to install this trojan on victims’ computers in order to lure them into purchasing rogue anti-spyware products, and then to send spam with subject…
[...]Counterfeit and Stolen Medicine Found in Liberia’s Markets
Liberian researchers have found that more than 50% of antibiotic, antimalarial and pain relief medication are counterfeit or substandard. Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority officials collected 115 samples of common medications from public markets in Monrovia and tested them using the Global Pharma Health Fund’s Minilab. Some medications were found to have no…
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