International Business Times sheds light on connection between the gray market for medicines and fake online pharmacies

August 23, 2011

In a lengthy article touching upon two key recent reports on drug shortages in the U.S., the International Business Times points to the expanding presence of criminals looking to turn a profit at the expense of customers’ wallets and possibly patients’ safety.

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Growing Concern for Counterfeit Drugs In Caribbean

August 23, 2011

The Caribbean Association of Pharmacists is raising the concern that counterfeit medicines are being trafficked throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Reports CARIBARENA Antigua, Algernon Roberts, President of the Antigua Pharmaceutical Society says that counterfeit drug trafficking is treated more leniently and is easier to accomplish than illicit drug trafficking. “Trafficking in counterfeit drugs is…

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8,000 Fake Pills Seized in Cincinnati

August 22, 2011

In a swell of 1,000 pounds of fake, illegal substances intercepted this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a package of counterfeit medicine containing 8,000 pills falsely identified as “harmless generic medicine.” Reports the Business Courier, officers inspected the package from India and found it contained counterfeit medication with the active ingredient tadalafil, which…

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Stop Counterfeiters From Putting Children in Danger

August 19, 2011

The World Health Organization estimates that 50% of medicines sold over the internet from sites that conceal their physical ­address­ are counterfeit. Parents, these 10 tips will help you protect your children from these potentially dangerous products.

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Doctor Uses Unapproved Drugs, Bilks Medicare

August 19, 2011

Isabella Martire, MD, of Laurel, MD, an oncologist, pleaded guilty to introducing an unapproved drug to interstate commerce on August 8th, 2011, after purchasing nearly 200,000 doses of medication meant for distribution in Turkey, and not approved for use in the United States. In 2010, federal agents began investigating an English pharmaceutical wholesaler that was…

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Drug Shortages Opening the Door to Counterfeits in the US Warns Report

August 18, 2011

Drug shortages are driving desperate pharmacy managers to purchase from parallel importation sources that suspiciously have drugs that the manufacturers don’t – are they selling fake medication, stolen, or mishandled, or is it real? 360 drug shortages are predicted for 2011, reports Premier healthcare alliance, in a whitepaper dated August 2011, with the majority of…

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Speakers Announced for 2011 Counterfeit Drug Conference

August 18, 2011

State Dept., FDA, and ICE Among Speakers at Oct. 27th Event Washington, D.C. (August 18, 2011) – The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) today unveiled the initial speakers confirmed for this year’s annual Interchange conference. Among those confirmed to participate in the October 27th event are high level representatives from the U.S. Department of State, the…

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Take the “Risky Proposition” Quiz: Learn how opening the US to foreign medicines could put American kids at increased risk

August 17, 2011

What percentage of U.S. children and teens are currently taking medicine on a regular basis? What is the most widely prescribed medicine for children? How many online pharmacies are in operation? How pervasive is the counterfeit medicine problem globally and why is the problem so much worse outside the U.S.? Parents, these answers may surprise you, and they could have implications for your own children. Counterfeit medicine is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, and many criminals are using fake online pharmacies to distribute potentially dangerous products. Take the quiz and learn more.

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Parents News Now highlights PSM’s “A Risky Proposition”

August 16, 2011

Parents News Now highlights PSM’s new report: “A Risky Proposition,” that examined how opening U.S. markets to drug importation could exacerbate the problem of fake online pharmacies selling counterfeit medicines to kids.

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Carnegie Mellon: Web Hackers Profiting From Illegal Online Pharmacies

August 16, 2011

A new report from Carnegie Mellon University echoes the findings of the recent NABP report on online pharmacies. A growing number of illegal online pharmacies are flooding the Web trying to sell dangerous unauthorized prescriptions, according to a new report from cybersecurity experts at CMU.

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