News Coverage
The Partnership for Safe Medicines has been publishing information about the counterfeit drug problem around the world for more than a decade. With experts leading the organization and a committed and passionate set of writers and editors, our content is more in-depth than many other sources, which simply copy links to the news from other websites.
In this week’s news: Fake masks, fake COVID vaccines, fake pills and fake pill manufacturing across the U.S.
Under the import alert, alcohol-based hand sanitizers from Mexico offered for import are subject to heightened FDA scrutiny, and FDA staff may detain the shipment. As part of their entry review, FDA staff will consider any specific evidence offered by importers or manufacturers that the hand sanitizers were manufactured according to U.S. current good manufacturing practice requirements. This marks the first time the FDA has issued a countrywide import alert for any category of drug product.
When the first FDA alerts warning of methanol-contaminated hand sanitizers brands emerged, we reported them through our FDA alert system. Within weeks however, this trickle of hand sanitizer recalls turned into a flood. Learn more here.
In this week’s news: A Seattle man was arrested for COVID-vaccine fraud; sales of fake COVID-19 vaccines on the dark web up 400% since December; prosecutions of fake pill peddlers, and more.
This week: A new report from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, COVID-19 vaccine fraud, a guilty plea in a fake online pharmacy case, counterfeit pill news, and more.
When the Central Valley Opioid Safety Commission contacted us about helping them promote a public safety message about the dangers of counterfeit pills made with fentanyl, of course we said yes. Their 30-second spot featured the family of Travis Jacobson, a young Californian who was tragically killed by a fake Xanax pill that turned out to be lethal. We at PSM were happy to underwrite both the direct costs and the labor costs of such an important public health message.
PSM’s round-up this week closes out 2020 with hundreds of thousands of counterfeit surgical masks, scammers cashing in on COVID-19 vaccines with fake Eventbrite listings, fake cancer treatments, and more.
Watch our two minute video and read this post to learn how Florida’s importation plan fails to meet federal requirements, its own requirements, and promises supporters made during the legislative process.
24-year-old Taylor Martinek died of fentanyl poisoning in 2017, after he took an oxycodone pill that turned out to be counterfeit. Since then, his family has been trying to change Oregon law to increase penalties for dealers who cause deaths like Taylor’s.
This is a reprint of an FDA Alert. Essaar Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Rubbing Alcohol Contaminated with Methanol When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Company Name:Essaar Inc.Company Contact…
If you’re a reporter who covers healthcare and especially public health issues, this is what we think you should be watching for in the next six months of a better 2021
In PSM’s round-up this week: Make sure you’re getting the REAL COVID-19 vaccine, plus prosecutions and seizures involving dangerous supplements, a fake online pharmacy and a variety of counterfeit pills.
Many advocates and legislators are considering whether to pursue Canadian drug importation in 2021, but importation is not and never has been a viable option.
Watch our video to learn the basics and for an update on four states that have been trying to move forward with this idea.
In PSM’s round-up this week: ongoing COVID-19-related fraud, Europol’s Operation Shield, and counterfeit pill news in six states.
The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) applauds the passage of H.R. 5663 – the Safeguarding Therapeutics Act. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02-R) and Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-16-D), was passed via unanimous consent in the Senate on December 8th.
This editorial by the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board was published in The Sun Sentinel on December 9, 2020. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O’Hara, Dan Sweeney, Steve Bousquet and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. There Go Those Cheaper Drugs. Remember Florida’s plan to save money by importing prescription drugs in bulk from…
In PSM’s round-up this week: Canada banned exporting drugs to the U.S. if it will cause drug shortages at home, the FTC warns about fake COVID-19 testing centers, several large counterfeit pill busts, and more.
On Tuesday, December 2, 2020, New Mexico conducted their one and only public hearing on their plan to import medicine from Canada (over Canada’s objections). While the hearing was largely a formality, there was some interesting testimony.
Would you fly 6,000 miles to meet with a stranger who could be your new literal partner in crime? In April 2019, two Ukrainians did just that. While they dreamed of getting their counterfeit medicines into the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain, that dream was thwarted by the hard work and perseverance of federal investigators in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
In an analysis of 50 prospective drugs, Maine’s Medicaid program found that it would lose nearly a million additional dollars ($927,983.28, to be exact) importing these drugs from Canada. How can this be? For many reasons, Canada is not the land of cheap drugs people think it is.
Today, PhRMA, The Partnership for Safe Medicines and Council for Affordable Health Coverage initiated litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging action by HHS and FDA permitting pharmacists and wholesalers, pursuant to state-sponsored programs, to import certain prescription drugs from Canada into the United States without drug manufacturers’ authorization or oversight.
In PSM’s round-up this week: Government authorities take legal action against COVID scammers; an insurance broker (allegedly) decided to open his own unlicensed pharmacy; ongoing counterfeit medicine news, and more.
In PSM’s round-up this week: An analysis of New Mexico’s draft drug importation plan, reports on COVID-19 fraud, and this week in counterfeit medicine news.
The state of New Mexico released a draft of its Canadian drug importation plan. PSM analyzed the plan, paying particular attention to concerns pharmacists might have about how drug importation might affect their patients and business…
In PSM’s round-up this week: FDA and FTC warnings over fake COVID-19 treatments and fraud, as well as fake medicine news in seven U.S. states, Canada and Cambodia.
Seeking a good night’s sleep, 25-year-old Jake Beddoe, a young travel consultant with an adventurous heart and a tremendous sense of humor, took part of what he thought was a Xanax pill on May 27, 2020. The pill was counterfeit, and Jake died of fentanyl poisoning.
In PSM’s round-up this week: news about state drug importation, COVID-19 fraud, fake hand sanitizer stations, and more counterfeit medicine news.
This editorial by Brandon Macsata was published in The International Business Times on November 1, 2020. Macsata has been living with HIV since 2002, and serves as the CEO of the ADAP Advocacy Association, an organization that promotes the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and works to improve access to care.
With the recent report that police in Maui, Hawaii seized 400 counterfeit oxycodone pills made with fentanyl on October 2, 2020, the United States has reached a sobering milestone: public sources have reported about fake pills made with fentanyl in all 50 states.
In PSM’s round-up this week: news about state drug importation, COVID-19 fraud, deadly workout supplements and counterfeit pills made with fentanyl.
A summary briefing of 2020’s major cases, worrying trends and a deep dive into drug supply chain policy issues.
In PSM’s round-up this week: new reports about counterfeit medicine, drug supply chain regulation and phishing scams; FDA warnings about dangerous supplements; a life sentence for fake pill kingpin Aaron Shamo; and more.
In this analysis, which was published in Lexology on October 13, 2020, three global regulatory experts examine barriers to drug importation.
In PSM’s round-up this week: Policy truths about drug importation, prosecutions for fake COVID-19 treatments and financial fraud, and another week in counterfeit pills.
In the first seven months of 2020, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported over 2,700 newly suspected opioid overdose deaths in Arizona. What makes this figure more startling is that there were just over 3,800 suspected opioid deaths in the preceding 30 months. The problem is escalating, and rapidly.
The editorial board of the Florida Times-Union published an op-ed that states that Canadian drug importation will have a limited impact, and is a sign of a broken system, not a solution to one…
Wyoming is one of many states that decided to examine if importing drugs would provide significant savings to its citizens. In a hearing in August and a report released today, they took a critical look at the issue and the Department of Health recommends that the state not pursue the idea for several key reasons…
In PSM’s round-up this week: A new report about the counterfeit medicine trade, fake COVID-19 vaccines in India, the week in counterfeit pills.
In PSM’s round-up this week: HHS defies 20 years of expertise and guidance and recent negative feedback to finalize regulations for state-based Canadian drug importation programs, forward movement on the Safe Therapeutics Act, and more #covidscam and counterfeit drug news.
On September 23, 2020, Department of Health and Human Services Alex Azar submitted a letter to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy certifying that Canadian drug importation would pose not additional threats to consumers and would save Americans a significant amount of money on prescription drugs.
Trump Administration Defies 20 Years of FDA Expertise and Guidance in Finalizing Politically Motivated Drug Importation Rule Washington, D.C. (September 24, 2020) – Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s Final Rule issued today on the importation of prescription drugs: “With 40…
On September 24th, 2020 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a draft of finalized rulemaking for Importation of Prescription Drugs. Watch this space for the most up-to-date news.
Last June, police in Ontario, Canada carried out Project Javelin, shutting down a huge counterfeiting operation that manufactured hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills disguised as Oxycocet, a Health Canada-approved generic oxycodone and acetaminophen product with the same ingredients as Percocet.
Update: Executive Director Shabbir Safdar followed up with retired Chief Superintendent of the Ontario Police Don Bell to talk about the impact these criminals could have had. Watch that interview in our September 23rd video, “Deadly Pills in Ontario.”
In PSM’s round-up this week: 520,000 fake medical masks seized by Customs and Border Protection, another fake online pharmacy case, and a flood of news about counterfeit pills made with fentanyl.
Risk Statement: Patients being treated for hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), who receive sub potent NP Thyroid®, may experience signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) which may include, fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, puffy face, hair loss, slow heart rate, depression, swelling of the thyroid gland and/or unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight. There is reasonable risk of serious injury in newborn infants or pregnant women with hypothyroidism including early miscarriage, fetal hyperthyroidism, and/or impairments to fetal neural and skeletal development. In elderly patients and patients with underlying cardiac disease toxic cardiac manifestations of hyperthyroidism may occur, such as cardiac pain, palpitations or cardiac arrhythmia. To date, Acella has received four reports of adverse events for these lot numbers possibly related to this recall.
In PSM’s round-up this week: $132 million in losses from #covidscams since March, fake online pharmacies selling counterfeit and non-FDA approved opioids, Operation Quack Hack, and more.
In PSM’s round-up this week: outrageous COVID-19-related financial fraud, fake treatments, and the week in deadly counterfeit pills.
If you are taking a life-saving HIV medication right now, or any kind of life saving medication, you may be concerned about how to be certain that your supply of medicine is secure. In this post, William Arnold of the Community Access National Network , PSM’s Shabbir Safdar, and Brandon M. Macsata of ADAP Advocacy Association offer suggestions to help.
Risk Statement: Patients being treated for hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), who receive sub potent Nature-Throid® or WP Thyroid®, may experience signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) which may include, fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, puffy face, hair loss, slow heart rate, depression, swelling of the thyroid gland and/or unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Risk Statement: Ingesting hand sanitizer, which is intended for topical use, may result in alcohol toxicity. Symptoms of alcohol toxicity may range from lack of coordination, slowed or slurred speech, drowsiness to coma, which can be fatal. Young children may experience a sharp decrease in blood sugar which may result in death. Pregnant women who ingest alcohol have experienced birth defects and developmental disabilities. Nursing mothers who ingest alcohol in above moderate levels may see developmental, growth and sleep pattern damages in their babies and may experience impaired judgement and ability to safely care for their child.
In this editorial, which was published in WBUR’s Cognoscenti on September 2, 2020, writer Sarah Ruth Bates explains why Canadian drug importation is too expensive and elaborate a solution to be effective.
In PSM’s round-up this week: ongoing coronavirus fraud, more hand sanitizer warnings and the week in fake medicine.
De‘Anna described her first experience with what she now knows was a counterfeit pill: “My first time taking a pill that was cut, a counterfeit pill, I blacked out, and woke up vomiting.” She also described losing her partner to a fake pill, who died from one when he was just 21.
This week’s “behind the scam” video discusses a real-life example of “Uplabeling,” which is a technique that counterfeit criminals have used in the past to make major profits. Learn about what happened when counterfeiters slipped diluted anemia medicine back into the legitimate drug supply.
In PSM’s round-up this week: Our infographic summary of the NABP’s May report about fake pharmacies cashing in on COVID-19, ongoing coronavirus fraud, and the week in fake medicine.
24-year-old Travis Jacobson was excited about an upcoming job interview. Recently graduated from Sacramento State University, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his best friend Landon and launch a career in public relations. Sadly, Travis never made it to that interview. Wanting a good night’s sleep beforehand, he took a Xanax pill that turned out to be a fake made with fentanyl, and it took his life.
In this editorial, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry warns parents and students about the dangers posed by counterfeit pills being sold on college campuses.
In May 2020, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy released Rogue Online Pharmacies in the Time of Pandemic: Capitalizing on Misinformation and Fear. to review how fake online pharmacies were exploiting patients responding to COVID-19.
This month, PSM finished an illustrated summary of NABP’s findings.
22-year-old West Haven, Utah resident Jaydon Rogers was an “all-American-kid.” A champion high school wrestler, he had tremendous enthusiasm for all kinds of sports, his family and life. Jaydon died of fentanyl poisoning on March 14, 2018 after he unknowingly took a counterfeit pill.
In PSM’s round-up this week: selling fake facemasks to fund ISIS, fake COVID-19 cures and fake prescription drug trafficking.
In this August 14, 2020 editorial, Best Medicines Coalition chair John Adams explains why Canadian importation will not lower U.S. medicine prices—and why the “concept of cheap drugs from Canada has never been anything more than a political hallucination.”
In PSM’s round-up this week: COVID-19 fraud, a new DEA initiative to slow the sale of pill presses, and ongoing counterfeit pill news—including charges filed in the death of L.A. Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
This week’s video goes “behind the scam” to show you “Uplabeling,” which is a technique that counterfeit criminals have used in the past to make major profits. In uplabeling, counterfeiters took a low-dose medical product and made it look like a more expensive, high-dose version of the same drug simply by changing the label.
In PSM’s round-up this week: Continuing COVID-19 fraud, counterfeit Botox, and ongoing counterfeit pill news.
On July 24, 2020, the White House issued an executive order to implement three approaches to foreign drug importation, all of which involve dipping into other countries’ drug supplies and putting them in U.S. medicine cabinets. Watch this week’s video to learn more.
In this July 28, 2020 editorial published in the WasteWatcher blog, Elizabeth Wright argues that the administration’s Executive Order will “encourage more illegal behavior and a greater production of counterfeit drugs from countries like China, Mexico, and India.” Wright is the Director of Health and Public Policy for Citizens Against Government Waste
The FDA has issued a second, more serious warning about hand sanitizers that have been made with deadly methanol. Their first warning came on July 2, when they warned they had “seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products that are labeled to contain ethanol (also known as ethyl alcohol) but that have tested positive for methanol contamination.”
In PSM’s round-up this week: PSM’s statement about drug importation, The Safeguarding Therapeutics Act, continuing COVID-19 fraud, and ongoing counterfeit pill news.
Washington, D.C. (July 24, 2020) – Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, released the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order signed today on the importation of prescription drugs:
A pair of men from Ukraine admitted in federal court that they conspired to smuggle and distribute counterfeit cancer and hepatitis C drugs into the United States. Maksym Nienadov, the owner of the Ukrainian-based company Healthy Nation, and his co-conspirator and employee – Volodymyr Nikolaienko – pleaded guilty in federal court in Houston, Texas to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit drugs and smuggling goods into the country.
The FDA has issued 70 recalls/warnings at last count for hand sanitizers made with deadly wood alcohol (methanol). Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.
PSM’s round-up this week includes fake PPE and COVID-19 treatments, deaths and hospitalizations related to hand sanitizer made of methanol, fentanyl pill seizures, and guilty pleas from two Ukrainian men who sold counterfeit cancer and hepatitis treatments to U.S. agents.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up and passed H.R. 5663, the Safeguarding Therapeutics Act, today.
Importing medicine from Canada is more dangerous than it looks because it is so difficult to prosecute fake or substandard drug sellers. Legislators and their consultants make it sound as if holding a foreign vendor accountable will be easy, but history has shown that the U.S. federal government, with all of its agreements, power, and resources, still struggles to bring criminals to justice.
AAA is recalling all lots of their hand sanitizer due to the presence of undeclared methanol (wood alcohol) in their hand sanitizer products.
PSM continues to monitor public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. This week’s round-up includes news of COVID-19 scammers in the U.S. and overseas, fake pill traffickers in Arizona, South Carolina and Connecticut, and more.
4e Brands of San Antonio, Texas is recalling all lots of their hand sanitizer due to the presence of undeclared methanol (wood alcohol) in their hand sanitizer products.
In 2007, McLeod Cancer and Blood Center in Johnson City, Tennessee began buying medicine from Quality Specialty Products, a company that sold medicine from foreign sources that had not been inspected or approved by the FDA.
McLeod was just one of more than 900 U.S. medical practices caught buying non-FDA approved cancer drugs. Learn more about this ugly episode in black market medicines in this week’s video.
PSM continues to monitor public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. This week’s round-up includes news of COVID-19 scammers in the U.S. and overseas, as well as fake pill traffickers, and a startling counterfeit pill seizure in Italy.
PSM continues to monitor public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. This week’s round-up includes prosecutions of COVID-19 scammers and fake pill traffickers, massive seizures in across the U.S., and two tragic deaths.
The Department of Homeland Security blew past a grim milestone this month: 1 million fake COVID-19 products seized: fake and substandard personal protective equipment like masks, counterfeit test kits, black market medicine, unapproved thermometers, and fake treatments like colloidal silver or bleach.
PSM continues to monitor public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. Last week’s news includes prosecutions of COVID-19 scammers and counterfeit pill traffickers, and a massive fentanyl pill seizure in Canada.
It’s been happening since at least 2015, but many people are still not aware that counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl and fentanyl analogs are circulating in nearly all the United States and killing many, many people.
PSM is still monitoring public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. Here’s a quick round-up of counterfeit news published the week of June 8, 2020.
The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) applauds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) pilot program established this week to curb unapproved opioids illegally available online by potentially suspending or blocking offending domain names.
This week on #covidscams, PSM reviews the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s new report, Rogue Online Pharmacies in the Time of Pandemic: Capitalizing on Misinformation and Fear.
PSM is still monitoring public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. Here’s a quick round-up of counterfeit news published the week of June 1, 2020.
PSM is still monitoring public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. Here’s a quick round-up of counterfeit news published the week May 25, 2020.
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit against Wellness Matrix Group to stop the California-based business from preying upon the public by selling fraudulent COVID-19 products…
The era of COVID-19 has been marked by shortages of medical equipment–hand sanitizer, test kits, gloves and, most of all, protective masks for healthcare workers and first responders. On May 13th, the Associated Press (AP) published a disheartening investigative piece–one in a series about the challenges of a worldwide medical supply chain–that shows just how difficult it is to establish that important medical supplies are safe and effective over the whole course of the purchasing process.
PSM is still monitoring public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. Here’s a quick round-up of counterfeit news published the week May 18, 2020.
Maine submitted a state importation plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently to meet its own May 1, 2020 deadline. Given the deep structural flaws in both the idea of importing medicine from Canada and in Maine’s application to do so, PSM wonders if there is a better use of Maine taxpayer dollars than to continue to pursue this idea.
PSM is still monitoring public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. Here’s a quick round-up of counterfeit news published the week May 11, 2020.
Last week PSM asked Congress to help protect the public from online COVID-19 scams by requiring domain name sellers to suspend and lock websites that facilitate health fraud and re-opening registration information so that law enforcement can pursue criminals using websites to take advantage of the public.
PSM is still monitoring public reports of dangerous counterfeit medical supplies and treatments. Here’s a quick round-up of counterfeit news published the week May 4, 2020.
Law enforcement is encountering problems kicking COVID-19 scammers offline. Learn how, and how we can fix it.
Research Study Confirms That Cheap And Safe Drug Importation Is Not Feasible Read the abstract for Dr. Acri’s article. In March 2020, the Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, an official journal of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, published a study by Dr. Kristina M.L. Acri née Lybecker titled “State Pharmaceutical Importation Programmes: An Analysis of…
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, PSM is keeping a steady eye on public reports of dangerous counterfeit drugs. Here’s a quick round-up of counterfeit news published the week of April 27th, 2020.
The FDA was established to protect Americans from adulterated food and medicines and from criminals selling ineffective, outrageous, and sometimes harmful treatments. Unfortunately, fake cures are fertile ground for profiteers, and no matter how many products the FDA seizes, more crop up. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the FDA has been working overtime to stop the sale of harmful and ineffective COVID “treatments.” This week PSM did some research in the FDA’s warning letter archives to survey fake COVID-19 cures.
In this edition: Senators take up ASOP’s Call To Arms on domain name scams, more fake test kits, and the nearly infinite pool of #covidscam domain names.