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New Report: Broad Availability of Illegal Pill Presses Creates Unprecedented Threat to America’s Communities, Patients, and Law Enforcement
Tallahassee, Florida (March 19, 2019) — The supply and demand of dangerous counterfeit and illegally-imported medications is posing one of our country’s most serious health challenges, and illegal pill presses are directly contributing to this crisis, a new report jointly released today by The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, and The Partnership for Safe Medicines has found….
[...]Newly Launched Federal Task Force Finds Fake Xanax and Botox in First Week of Operation at Michigan Ports of Entry
The Detroit branch of the newly launched Global Trade Task Force (GTTF) has found counterfeit medications amongst the $1 million worth of counterfeit goods seized during one week. The seizures occurred at the Detroit Metro Airport, and the Port Huron Blue Water Bridge ports of entry.
[...]Former Executive Director of the American Conservative Union believes importation will hurt Americans
In this editorial, published in The Missouri Times on March 11, 2019, Gregg Keller warns that “the issue at hand is not so much the safety of Canadian drugs but the dangers of the global drug trade. Often, pharmacies that claim to be “Canadian” are anything but.”
[...]Guilty Plea From Canadian Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Candies Via The Internet
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Christopher Bantli of Calgary, Canada pleaded guilty in federal court. Bantli distributed controlled substances to customers who made their purchases online. The substances, such as fentanyl, alprazolam, or U-47700, could be pressed to look like “Pez” candies…
[...]Minnesota’s experiment with drug importation: RxConnect 2003-2010
Minnesota’s Experiment With Drug Importation: RxConnect 2003-2010 Minnesota was one of the first states to experiment with drug importation as a way to manage rising prescription prices. In 2003, Governor Tim Pawlenty launched Minnesota RxConnect, a program to import cheaper, non-FDA-approved medicine for Minnesota residents and state employees so that low income and elderly residents…
[...]New Jersey Is The Most Recent State With A Confirmed Death Caused By Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills
Since PSM started following news reports of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, stories of these pills have showed up in 46 states. With this newest story out of New Jersey, the number of states with confirmed deaths caused by fake fentanyl pills now stands at 31…
[...]National Association of Manufacturers Exec Warns that Florida’s Importation Plan Sacrifices Safety
In this March 5, 2019 editorial, published on the National Association of Manufacturers blog, Robyn Boerstling, the organization’s Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy, raises concerns about Florida’s drug importation proposal.
[...]Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills Continue To Claim Lives In Arizona
Law enforcement and medical professionals continue to warn the residents of Arizona that any pill purchased on the street most likely contains fentanyl and could kill them. From San Luis to Scottsdale to Buckeye, teenagers across the state are taking these fake pills, sometimes with tragic results…
[...]U.S. FDA Issues A Warning Letter to Canadian “International Prescription Service Provider” CanaRx
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to CanaRx, a company that acts as a broker between the foreign pharmacies and the employer-sponsored health insurance plan to provide prescription drugs to their employees. The letter states that CanaRx has been selling unapproved and misbranded drugs to U.S. citizens…
[...]HIV-Positive Advocate Reminds Americans About the Dangers of Imported Drugs
It isn’t just policymakers who believe drug importation will open the U.S. drug supply to counterfeits. In this editorial, published in the Times of Northwest Indiana on March 6, 2019, HIV-positive advocate Brandon Macsata explains that his own physician objected to ordering medicine from Canadian online pharmacies:
“It never crossed my mind that I might have been taking counterfeit medicine, or that the medicines meant to control my HIV could be compromising my immune system. So when my doctor found out, she told me to stop immediately. She warned me that online pharmacies often sell counterfeit drugs.”
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