Patient Harm
California-based Company Sued for Allegedly Implanting Back Surgery Patients With Counterfeit Spinal Hardware
The former owner of a California hospital has pleaded guilty to participating in an illegal medical kickbacks conspiracy, and a medical equipment manufacturer has recalled of all of its spinal fusion hardware due to “performance failures that could cause patient harm.” The case is linked to more than two dozen lawsuits filed alleging that counterfeit…
[...]Daniel Burke Shares his Perspective on the Danger Fake Online Pharmacies Pose at Interchange 2014
Special Agent Burke shared cases such as grandmother Betty Hunter’s run-in with counterfeit cancer medication.
[...]USA Today Reports Counterfeit Drugs A Huge Portion of Fake Consumer Products Available for Sale Online
From chainsaws that come apart while in use to medications that don’t work or make people sick, products for sale online are increasingly being found to be counterfeited. An April 30th report in USA Today points out that dangerous fake goods are easily found for sale on the Internet, and counterfeit medication numbers among the…
[...]Texas Experiences Rash of Fake Dermal Filler Injuries, 3 People So Far Indicted in Scam
In Hidalgo, Texas, three different beauticians are accused of injecting patients with toxic, non-medical silicone or other liquid plastics instead of an FDA-approved dermal filler. In all, 30 patients report health issues, and at least one has died. On the 19th of the month, Elva Navarro, owner of Bella Face and Body Spa in McAllen,…
[...]Drugs purchased from a legitimate-looking online pharmacy killed an American ExPat
Marcia Bergeron died in British Columbia in December 2006 from heavy metal poisoning caused by the prescription medications she had purchased from a fake online pharmacy. Friends and family were shocked, because Marcia’s health was robust, and she thought she was suffering from the common flu.
[...]Missouri Businesswoman Dies After Fake Anemia Drugs Delay Cancer Treatments
In March 2002, oncology nurses in Missouri at discovered that their patient, Maxine Blount, had been taking Procrit that was only one-twentieth the strength it should have been. The counterfeit did not treat her anemia, leading to delays between chemotherapy infusions that allowed her cancer to advance much more rapidly. She died in October 2002.
In 2005, her brother testified before Congress: if her drugs had been genuine “she would have lived longer…experienced much less pain and suffering, and have been able to spend more time with her family.”
[...]Honoring the 5th Anniversary of Marcia Bergeron’s Passing
Five years ago today, Marcia Bergeron suddenly passed away. Marcia thought she had a common virus, but her symptoms were actually caused by the poisonous fake medications, and instead of getting better, she died suddenly of heavy metals poisoning. The coroner’s report determined that Marcia died of cardiac arrhythmia caused by metal toxicity. The…
[...]Rick Roberts, a counterfeit drug victim, spoke at the 2010 Interchange
Fake online pharmacies can kill
“The people behind these rogue websites are people without a conscience. They’re simply murderers. They killed my friend […] They don’t think about what the consequences are, that somebody could end up sick, somebody could end up dead.”
[...]Friend Relives Details of Death from Medicine Purchased Online
Glenda Billerbeck, visiting for Christmas, said goodbye to her friend Marcia Bergeron, not knowing the flu she thought her friend had was actually heavy metal poisoning which would kill her the same day.
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