Oct
07

Think that online pharmacy looks legitimate? Consider this: counterfeiters may be using the web to sell their substandard, tainted, or even toxic pills. In fact, it’s estimated that about 50% of medicine sold through fake online pharmacies may be counterfeit. Counterfeit treatments for cancer, diabetes, asthma, heart disease and other serious illnesses have all been discovered on these fake online pharmacies. It’s especially important that those living with chronic disease - who may be dependent on the integrity of their medication for life and health - exercise caution when ordering their medicines online. Read more in the new report, A Risky Proposition: How Opening the U.S. to Foreign Medicines Poses a Risk to Chronically Ill Americans.   Fortunately for America, it’s estimated only a tiny fraction of the global supply of counterfeit drugs makes it into the U.S. drug supply.  All that could change, however, if Washington opens the closed system that has protected our medicines well for decades, and allows importation of foreign drugs.

Think that online pharmacy looks legitimate? Consider this: counterfeiters may be using the web to sell their substandard, tainted, or even toxic pills. In fact, it’s estimated that about 50% of medicine sold through fake online pharmacies may be counterfeit.

Counterfeit treatments for cancer, diabetes, asthma, heart disease and other serious illnesses have all been discovered on these fake online pharmacies. It’s especially important that those living with chronic disease - who may be dependent on the integrity of their medication for life and health - exercise caution when ordering their medicines online. Read more in the new report, A Risky Proposition: How Opening the U.S. to Foreign Medicines Poses a Risk to Chronically Ill Americans.  

Fortunately for America, it’s estimated only a tiny fraction of the global supply of counterfeit drugs makes it into the U.S. drug supply.  All that could change, however, if Washington opens the closed system that has protected our medicines well for decades, and allows importation of foreign drugs.

Source safemedicines.org

Oct
05

Now you can text to discover fake drugs

A Cambridge, MA-based company has developed a new system to help identify counterfeit medicines. In the “mobile product” authentication process, people can use their cell phones to text a number on the package to confirm that the medicines inside are authentic. This innovative tool will help those in the  developing world, where counterfeit medicines are rampant. Read the full story by clicking here. 

Source Boston.com

Oct
04

“The rules we have in place today are over 20 years old. Technology has evolved, and the counterfeiters are more capable. It is time to modernize our system to ensure the integrity of prescription medications in America. We need to change current law so when officials seize counterfeit drugs coming into the U.S., they can destroy them rather than simply returning them to the counterfeiters.”

– Utah Congressman Jim Matheson, who re-introduced H.R. 3026, Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act, a bill to provide a way for authorities to track, seize and destroy counterfeit drugs.

Source matheson.house.gov

Sep
14

Cancer, HIV and Hemophilia Medicines Counterfeited

Cancer, HIV and hemophilia medicines are among the most counterfeited medical products in Argentina. Counterfeiters have moved from lifestyle drugs to counterfeiting life-saving medicines, putting the health and safety of unsuspecting consumers at risk.

Reports like these highlight the need to keep the U.S. medicine supply chain closed and protected. Vigilance keeps the global counterfeit medicine problem largely outside our borders.   However, proposed drug importation legislation could inadvertently open our borders to counterfeit imported medicine, potentially threatening the safety of our drug supply.   

Source securingpharma.com

Gray-Market Drugs: “Don’t have any integrity chain behind”

“You have these gray-market suppliers that approach organizations and say, ‘I have drug x,y, but it will cost you 450 percent more than what you used to pay,’” D’Amato says. “And the problem with that is those drugs don’t have any integrity chain behind them so very oftentimes counterfeit drugs can get into the drug supply.” 

Source mpbn.net

Sep
13

Fake drugs: a global overdose

France24 investigates the “worldwide ring of counterfeit medications.” According to the video report, e-commerce explosion has accelerated the way counterfeit medicine arrives in Europe. In 2010, the European Commission confiscated 3 million units of fake drugs. But the distribution of counterfeit medicine is not limited to Europe - Pfizer brands alone have been counterfeited in 101 countries. Watch the video to learn more.


Fake drugs: a global overdose by tvnportal

Today, Americans can largely protect themselves by avoiding fake online pharmacies. But drug importation legislation could inadvertently threaten the safety of our medicine supply – and exacerbate the problem of counterfeit medicine – by exposing our protected supply chain to medicines from abroad. 

Source dailymotion.com

Sep
12

Combating the Global Counterfeit Market

Some estimate that the illicit counterfeit medicine industry has grown in to a $200 billion a year business and comprises roughly 30% of the medicine in developing countries. Sproxil Inc. is one company that recognizes the problem and is working to create mobile-phone based technology to combat the global counterfeit drug market. 

Today, the threat of counterfeit medicine lies for the most part outside the U.S. But drug importation legislation could change this, inadvertently threatening the safety of our medicines supply chain. 

Source blog.acumenfund.org

“Counterfeit prescription drugs pose a significant risk to the public since these drugs are not tested for safety, content, or purity by the Food and Drug Administration. Although the internet makes it easy to order fake drugs from foreign countries, persons who sell these counterfeit drugs make illegal profits at the expense of the public’s health.”

U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin

Source safemedicines.org