About PSM
PSM’s letter asking the President and Congress to protect Americans from dangerous, imported medicines
Letter Asking the President And Congress to Protect Americans from Imported Drugs, October 30, 2018 Today, The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) sent a letter to President and Members of Congress urging them to protect Americans from the threat of unregulated, imported medicines flowing into our borders. October 30, 2018 Dear President Donald J.…
[...]Drug Importation and the Deadly Challenge of Screening 275 Million Packages a Year
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in their report U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the International Mail Facilities (IMFs), describes the daunting job that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) faces when attempting to weed out counterfeit medications and packages containing illicit fentanyl. In 2017, IMFs received 275 million packages. Of these, 10,000 were screened by CBP, and of those 86% contained drugs. The investigation of a suspect package is incredibly time-consuming; an experienced FDA investigator might take as long as 20 minutes to process a package containing just on product.
[...]Congress Passes Opioid Epidemic Legislative Package
The Partnership for Safe Medicines applauds the passage of the SUPPORT Act, an $8 billion package which will help develop non-addictive painkillers, improve prescription drug monitoring programs, establish comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and strengthen Customs and Border Protection’s ability to intercept fentanyl that is illegally shipped into the United States.
[...]Drug Importation is Fraught with Peril
As a licensed pharmacist, I’m all too familiar with patients’ difficulties getting medications they need and their physician has prescribed. As baby boomers age, pharmacists see more patients at our counters unable to obtain needed treatments for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. This issue is now being acknowledged and a healthy debate has begun over possible solutions. But one idea policymakers shouldn’t pursue is opening up our country’s secure drug supply to medicines coming from outside our borders.
[...]Over Half of U.S. States Have Now Seen Fatalities from Counterfeit Drugs Made with Fentanyl
The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) announced at the event hosted by U.S. Representative Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) that counterfeit pills made with illegally-imported fentanyl have now been found in 44 states and, with the recent death of an Idaho man, fatalities tied to counterfeit drugs have now occurred in 26 states.
[...]Black Market Cancer Drugs In the U.S. 2007–2018
Download Black Market Cancer Drugs in the U.S.
[...]Who Opposes Drug Importation? Every Head of the FDA and HHS Since 2000
Ordering prescription drugs from non-FDA approved foreign sources is a dangerous pat, opposed by all of the previous heads of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since 2000.
[...]House of Representatives Passes the STOP Act, Bringing U.S. One Step Closer to Closing Global Postal Loophole Fueling Opioid Epidemic
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives came together across party lines to pass the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, introduced by Representatives Mike Bishop (R-MI) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), by a vote of 353-52. The bill now heads to the Senate for debate and passage.
[...]The Partnership For Safe Medicines 2018 Interchange
The 2018 PSM Interchange brought together policymakers, counterfeit drug victims, pharmaceutical manufacturers, patient advocates, law enforcement, and healthcare professionals to discuss solutions to the deadly impacts that counterfeit drugs are having upon U.S. Citizens. Carrie Luther, Lisa Hicks, and Jennifer Hodge shared their experiences of losing their sons to counterfeit pills made with fentanyl.
[...]Mothers of Counterfeit Drug Victims Join Law Enforcement, Pharmacy Experts to Raise Alarm Over Lethal Fentanyl Imports
Partnership for Safe Medicines Announces Creation of Fentanyl Council to Spotlight Impact on U.S. Law Enforcement, Explore Proliferation of Pill Presses
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