Fake Online Pharmacies: The Wild, Wild West

July 10, 2012

Online pharmacies have been implicated in several recent criminal cases, from accusations of wire and mail fraud, to distribution of counterfeit medications for cancer, ADHD and pain.

Experts at The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, a non-profit for the purpose of protecting patient safety globally and ensuring patient access to safe and legitimate online pharmacies warn that this may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Learn more at the  2012 Interchange on September 28, 2012 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

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India Patient Safety and Drug Detection Technology Workshop – September 10-11, 2012

July 2, 2012

On September 10th, 2012, the India Office of the Partnership for Safe Medicines is organizing a Patient Safety and Drug Detection Technology Workshop in New Delhi, India.  Working with the Government of India, the workshop builds upon a September 2011 APEC Drug Safety and Detection Technology seminar held in Beijing.   The workshop’s objectives are…

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Counterfeit Med Seller Convicted by Federal Jury – ICE Led Investigation

June 28, 2012

A federal jury convicted Luis Angel Garcia Torres, 41, of Puerto Rico on 12 counts related to trafficking in counterfeit medicine, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, on June 14, 2012.

Garcia Torres used the internet to purchase the medication, provided advice to the counterfeit manufacturers in China on avoiding detection by US law enforcement, and then sold the fake drugs to undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Houston, TX.

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Counterfeit Vicodin Purchased Online Contained No Hydrocodone

June 26, 2012

In March, Abbot Pharmaceuticals reported that two instances of counterfeit Vicodin ES had been found, having been purchased on the internet. Vicodin ES is a combination of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen, used to relieve moderate to severe pain.  It is a Schedule III drug, which requires a prescription to be dispensed, and is deemed to…

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NABP Applies for New Top-Level Domain to Provide Secure Destination for Consumers

June 26, 2012

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to own and operate the new .PHARMACY generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD). NABP has announced it has applied for the generic Too-Level Domain .PHARMACY as a "community-based application representing legitimate online pharmacies and prescription drug-related organizations worldwide…

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House Doubles Maximum Sentence for Counterfeit Drug Crime

June 24, 2012

H.R. 3668, the Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act, was approved by the House of Representatives on June 18, 2012.  Sponsored by Representatives Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), Tom Marino (R-Pa.), and Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), the House bill has stiffer penalties for drug counterfeiters than the Senate approved version. Reports Bloomberg BNA, the House version of the bill…

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Hamburg Seeks Stronger Penalties for Drug Counterfeiters

June 22, 2012

FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg seeks stronger penalties to fight counterfeit drug trafficking, saying, “We need legal authorities to give teeth to our action. We are increasingly concerned that this is becoming an attractive area for bad guys, including organized crime,” reported The Financial Times. Dr. Hamburg told the Financial Times that current penalties for…

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FDA Says Buy from US State-Licensed Pharmacies to Avoid Counterfeit Meds

June 22, 2012

The US Food and Drug Administration is advising American consumers in a new campaign to avoid counterfeit medications by purchasing only from US state-licensed pharmacies.

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WHO Prequalifies 5 Anti-Malaria Drugs Made in China

June 20, 2012

World Health Organization (WHO) representative Michael O’Leary has announced that China now has five anti-malaria drugs that have met WHO standards for prequalification. China Daily reports that a study released in January 2012 by the Wellcome Trust cites Chinese manufacturers as a major source of counterfeit anti-malaria drugs in Asia and Africa.   Head researcher…

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FDA Cites 2 Canadian Pharmacies for Offering Unapproved Drugs to Americans

June 19, 2012

On May 24, 2012, Thomas Christi, Acting Office Director for the FDA’s Office of Drug Security, Integrity and Recalls sent warning letters to Pharmawest Pharmacy and Best Price Rx, two Canadian pharmacies known by their websites www.bestpricerx.com and www.northwestpharmacy.com.  The warning letters state that the FDA has determined that the companies’ websites “offer an unapproved…

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