The new “Spamalot” – Spam Solicitations for Counterfeit Drugs

On October 13, a USA Today article featured a report released from the antivirus company McAfee. They found that 70 percent of spam in September was from websites advertizing “Canadian pharmaceuticals.” Further, the only thing that made it “Canadian” was the word Canadian and the maple leaves on the spammers’ web page. The increase in counterfeit drug spam may be due to the rising fears surrounding H1N1 flu, as well as the intensity around the topic of healthcare costs.

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Counterfeit Drug Aftermath Still Plagues Panama

In 2006, 116 people were confirmed dead in Panama after the government distributed cough syrup, antihistamine tablets, calamine lotion and rash ointment that was unknowingly made with counterfeit glycerin, a sweetener and thickening agent commonly used in medication. The Panamanian government believed they were receiving 99.5 percent pure glycerin from a Spanish distribution company. In reality, what they bought was diethylene glycol, the poisonous chemical commonly found in antifreeze and brake fluid, which the original Chinese manufacturer passed off as glycerin.

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Education…The Prescription for Purchasing Medications

The cost of counterfeiting is much more than money. In too many cases, counterfeiting costs human health and in some cases lives. For example, a group of clinics in Sierra Leone were closed last week for allegedly administering counterfeit drugs. Other cases involving online drug sellers have claimed the health and lives of patients who bought from illicit Web sites.

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