Canadian online pharmacy pioneer, Andrew Strempler, was sentenced January 9th, 2013 to 4 years after he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Initially, Strempler faced 4 charges relating to the case with each carrying a possible sentence of 20 years.
Strempler’s current legal woes stem from the FDA investigation of his Internet pharmacy business Mediplan Health Consulting Inc, also known as RX-North. According to the Wall Street Journal, FDA investigations of Strempler’s business discovered that 90% of the drugs they had seized from a Mediplan shipment were counterfeit. The shipment contained fake versions of Arimidex, a breast cancer treatment, and Lipitor, the cholesterol drug.
Read MoreThe FDA has issued warning letters to over 350 US medical practices that they may have purchased unapproved medications, including unapproved versions of Botox from wholesalers owned by foreign suppliers. The medical practices were warned that the suppliers sold drugs not approved for sale by the FDA that may be counterfeit.
In this latest incident of US doctors buying prescription medication for patients from questionable and unapproved sources, doctors in 38 states, and one hospital have received warnings that they have made purchases from an unapproved foreign supplier of medication.
Read Moreinternet pharmacy affiliates run by MyRxCash.com. In December, Legitscript was able to shut down operations for MyRxCash itself, and the hundreds of affiliate websites it had created.
MyRxCash, also known as Pronet, was warned by the FDA in September about their activities. The FDA letter warned Pronet that its “websites offer products for sale in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). More specifically, the websites listed below offer unapproved and misbranded new drugs for sale.”
Read MorePart 2 of The Year in Review
Fake medications have infiltrated the legitimate supply
chain in the United States in 2012 through doctor’s offices, bricks and mortar
pharmacies and through direct-to-consumer purchasing on the internet.
Fake drugs containing dangerous ingredients
have been found for purchasing from unlicensed internet pharmacies, and drug
diverters have infiltrated brick and mortar pharmacies with black market medications.
Fake Medications in Medical Offices
In the past two years, fake doctors were convicted of vitally
endangering the lives of patients who submitted to counterfeit treatments. Patients can keep themselves safe from fake doctors by checking the validity of their physician’s license with the state medical board. But patients can’t use proof of a valid physician’s license to protect themselves when real doctors administer fake medications. In the same time period, while two fake doctors were convicted of administering fake drugs to patients, three real doctors were convicted of the same crime.
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Read MoreDefendant pleaded guilty to purchasing diverted prescription drugs on the black market, then reselling them into legitimacy via Altec Inc.
William D. Rodriguez, of Miami Florida, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his role in a complicated drug diversion scam, reports the US Department of Justice. Rodriguez’ illicit business purchased prescription drugs from all manner of sources, such as cargo thefts and patients willing to sell their medication, then repackaged the drugs and created a drug “pedigree” for them before selling them back to consumers. He was also found guilty of money laundering, and was ordered to forfeit $55 million in profits.
Read MoreFake doctor who caused “infliction of great bodily injury” to patients with fake medicine was convicted in San Diego, after they filed complaints with the California Medical Board.
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Kathleen Ann Helms, also known as
Catherine Bright-Helms, age 57, of Encinitas, CA in August, 2012. She was charged with practicing medicine
without a license, “which resulted in the infliction of great bodily injury and
grand theft,” announced the FBI.
US
Department of Justice convicts two in cases tying counterfeit cancer drugs
to Canadian pharmacy business.
On
November 15th, Dr. William Kincaid, of Johnson City, TN, was convicted for
knowingly purchasing non-FDA approved injectable cancer medications from
Quality Specialty Products (QSP). Dr. Kincaid accepted a plea deal with the
federal government in exchange for assisting them with their ongoing
investigation. Previously, Dr. Kincaid’s business manager, Michael Dean Combs
pled guilty in the same case on September 19th, reports
Knox News.
Launch of PSM China Reinforces Global
Fight Against Counterfeit Drugs
Beijing and Washington, D.C. (November
28, 2012) – The
Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), the leading advocacy organization dedicated
to fighting the global threat posed by counterfeit drugs, today announced its
latest international collaboration with the launch of PSM China. Today’s launch
event in Beijing was attended by stakeholders from the government, advocacy community and industry, and underscores the important
role that public-private partnerships play in educating consumers and helping
to keep them safe from dangerous and deadly counterfeit medicines.