News Archives
Since 2002, the Partnership for Safe Medicines has been publishing information about the counterfeit drug problem around the world. 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.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced prison sentences for three members of a large-scale counterfeit fentanyl pill manufacturing and distribution ring based in Elmira, New York. The ringleader, Robert Ian Thatcher, received a 23-year prison sentence. Edward Barrett and Dusty Pemberton, both street level dealers, will spend seven and one-half and five and one-half years in prison respectively…
Two sheriffs in Montana issued public warnings after multiple people died in January because of counterfeit oxycodone pills made with fentanyl. This makes Montana the 30th state in which PSM has documented deaths caused by fake fentanyl pills
The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office in California filed eight felony counts against a local woman who allegedly lied about being a licensed nurse and injected her unsuspecting clients with liquid silicone and illegally-sourced Botox…
2019 has already been a busy year for fentanyl cases in Arizona. Thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills have been seized, a woman selling pills out of a convenience store has been charged, a 15-year-old suffered a non-fatal overdose at school from what is thought to have been a counterfeit pill, and Customs and Border Protection seized 254 founds of fentanyl hidden in a shipment of cucumbers at the port of entry at Nogales…
In a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. discussed the agency’s continuing efforts to combat the spread of illicit opioids and to ensure the security of America’s drug supply chain. Included in their recent efforts, Commissioner Gottlieb noted that the agency has stepped up enforcement and interdiction work at International Mail Facilities and shut down websites illegally selling potentially dangerous, unapproved, and misbranded versions of opioid medications to U.S. citizens…
Thursday, January 17th, 2019 was a busy day for emergency services in Seattle, Washington due to seven overdoses. Public Health – Seattle & King County issued a public warning about a potentially bad batch of drugs laced with fentanyl – both illicit and counterfeit pills – having caused the overdoses…
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a 26-month prison sentence for Tzvi Lexier, a principal at TC Medical Group. After fighting extradition from Canada, Lexier pleaded guilty in federal court for his role that saw over $18 million in misbranded and counterfeit drugs smuggled into the U.S. and sold to doctors’ offices around the country…
On Thursday, January 31, 2018, the Partnership for Safe Medicines held two briefings in Washington, D.C. to inform members of Congress and their staff about the dangers posed to Americans by counterfeit medicines. The events each had three panels and looked at how fake medicines have affected individuals and law enforcement, and also at the roles played by international bad actors and drug cartels…
Traveling to foreign countries for a medical procedure is nothing new, but a dozen Americans who recently traveled to Tijuana, Mexico ended up bringing home something they never dreamed of: a potentially deadly strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria…
The 9th Judicial District Drug Task Force received an award recently at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Narcotic Officers Association. Among their many accomplishments this year, this task force was involved in seizing 10,000 Xanax pills shipped from Canada to a Kingston couple…