Fake Malaria Drugs

I remember when I first researched counterfeit medicines. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I remember reading sad stories of kids in Brazil dying of cough medicines, kids in Africa dying of antimalarials, etc. Drugs are supposed to be our safety net if something goes wrong. That safety net, is not safe for most of the people on the planet. Every good thing seems to somehow get tainted by evil.

I was on the Counterfeit Drugs Facebook page today looking up “Fake Drugs” and I came across a page dealing with fake malaria drugs. I would highly recommend everyone looking at it (hyperlink in the last sentence). There is also a petition on their website, if you click HERE, you can take a look at it.

Below is a video about fake malaria drugs. On their website, it states, “Every 45 seconds a child dies of malaria. A disease that can be cured with good drugs… But 1/3 of all malaria drugs sold in Africa are fake.” How can anyone have hope that they can be cured when what is supposed to cure them could have the potential to kill them too? This is a travesty. Informing yourself and informing others is a great way to start giving people hope.

Here is another video, below, about the story of counterfeit malaria drugs.

Viagra Sold Online

This week, Pfizer (maker of Viagra), started offering its impotence drug through a company-sponsored website. This is to help combat counterfeit versions that are sold online. Men who have a prescription, can now order the drug online from Viagra.com. Of course, these RXs will be verified.

“There are almost 24 million searches a year for Viagra online,” said Victor Clavelli, senior director in Pfizer’s primary care unit, said in a company statement. By helping men obtain Viagra through the official website, the company seeks to “rein in the distribution” of fake versions of the drug.

Interesting fact; in 2011 Pfizer conducted a chemical analysis of pills purchased from 22 websites that were ranked high when they searched “buy Viagra.” They chemical analysis found that around 80% of the pills claiming to be Viagra were counterfeit and did not contain full doses of the active ingredient as advertised.

Agreement Between UPS and DOJ

At the end of March, 2013 the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the United Parcel Service (UPS) came to a huge, $40 million USD agreement. This agreement was made to settle allegations that UPS did business with illegal internet pharmacies. In the deal, the United States agreed not to prosecute UPS in exchange for the company giving up their payments received ($40 million) from dealing with the illegal pharmacies.

UPS, according to the DOJ, has been nothing but cooperative in this. “We are pleased with the steps UPS has taken to stop the use of its shipping services by illegal on-line pharmacies,” U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said in a statement. “Good corporate citizens like UPS play an important role in halting the flow of illegal drugs that degrade our nation’s communities.” Interestingly enough, the DOJ said that UPS did not implement procedures to close the shipping accounts of internet pharmacies despite being put on notice from 2003 through 2010.

John Roth, director of the FDA’s office of criminal investigations, said the FDA is “hopeful that the positive actions taken by UPS in this case will send a message to other shipping firms to put public health and safety above profits.” FedEx has also said that they are on board and will do what they can to stop the shipping of illicit drugs. Google even paid $500 million to settle an investigation by the Department of Justice over allegations that it made money from illegal online pharmacies.

What is so bad about illicit online pharmacies is the fact that they generally distribute controlled substances or prescription drugs that usually need a prescription, but by purchasing them online from these certain websites you would not need a valid prescription. Please be careful when purchasing drugs online. I would caution not to purchase them online at all. Don’t put your health on the line for a seemingly “cheaper” alternative.

Economics of Counterfeits

Counterfeits not only affect the patients taking them, but also the economy. I found this awesome infograph on the economy of fake drugs that is really eye-opening. This is a growing problem and needs more public awareness. I cannot stress that enough!

[Via: Carrington College's pharmacy technician training program.]

South Carolina Warehouse

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HIS) seized around $4 million USD worth of counterfeit items including pharmaceuticals in South Carolina! This was the result of an investigation that started the beginning of February. The bulk of the counterfeit medication seized was manufactured in India and sent to a warehouse in Columbia, SC.

Most of the medications were counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills (including Viagra, Cialis and Proscar). During this two-week operation they also seized more than $290,000 USD worth of counterfeit and pirated goods infringing on trademarked brands like Coach, Prada, Ray Ban, Golf Pride and TaylorMade. These goods were sent from China to the same warehouse in Columbia that were meant to be reshipped out to buyers.

Just be careful of where you purchase things! Especially your medications. Vincent Picard, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement , warned that online purchases of medicines can be risky, especially if the offer comes unsolicited in an email.

Tips for Keeping Yourself Safe

Wow! It has been a long time since I’ve posted on here! My apologies. Lately, there has been a lot going on with politics and with my life as a Navy wife. Before I find news articles to read, I thought I should make a post about keeping yourself safe. When I explain to people what counterfeit medications are, I usually get the same response, “oh my gosh, that really happens?” And that’s usually followed with, “How do I know my pharmaceuticals are safe?” So I think I’m well over due on a post dedicated on keeping yourself safe.

I found a great article on CBS that was published last year called “Pill pitfalls: Tips to make sure your medication is safe“. It is really hard, sometimes, to tell whether your medication is safe or not. Counterfeiters are very savvy and lets face it, sometimes we just don’t pay attention until something bad happens. Even in the US, we aren’t safe. Last year there were instances with fake cancer drugs, blood thinners, and fake Viagra. Roger Bate (an economist who has written several books about the problem of counterfeit medications) gives tips in this article that I linked above to help make sure what you’re putting in your body will help cure you, not kill you.

1. Take your own medication - A medical professional has prescribed that medication for you for a reason. He knows your history and knows you. Giving that to a friend, who seems to have the same illness as you, doesn’t always mean it is the right medication for them and vice versa. Reactions from doing this can be fatal.
2. Buy your medications from a licensed pharmacy – To ensure you’re receiving the real drug, it would be wise to check with the National Association of the Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) or your state’s Pharmacy Board for the address of a licensed pharmacy. If you’re ordering online, make sure they are actually accredited and not just claiming they are. You can check the NABP website or use LegitScript. These two groups only approve sites based in the United States, which will sell FDA approved medicines. If you are out of the country, using a chain pharmacy has shown to be more reliable. You can always ask your hotel whether there are any licensed chain pharmacies in the country. Or use Pharmacy Checker, which has a list according to country.
3. What does your medication look like? - Check online for what the medication and the medicine packaging looks like before you go to the pharmacy. Ask yourself these questions when you receive your medication, do they look okay, are they crumbling or discolored, are they the correct shape and color, and do they have the proper stamps or logos on them. If you have any uncertainty about them, go back and ask your pharmacist to double check. This may seem like a lot to do, but it is better to ask now than to worry later when you could be doing more harm to yourself. This can also help others out as well.
4. Follow the instructions – Pretty straight forward. Some medications require and empty stomach while some require taken with food. Always follow the instructions. Even seemingly harmless grapefruit juice can increase the body’s absorption of certain chemicals, resulting in drug overdose if consumed with the wrong medicine.
5. Check expiration – Discard them if they are expired. Expired medicines can be dangerous and no longer be effective.
6. A lower cost is not worth sacrifice – When it comes to medications, DO NOT sacrifice your safety or others by purchasing from a “Too-good-to-be-true offer” from spam emails or online ads , more than likely they are too-good-to-be-true. Of the 10,000-plus web-based drug sellers, most of them are unlicensed and are not professional pharmacies. It is illegal to import large quantities of medicines into the United States, but the FDA doesn’t prevent personal importation of prescription medicines for three months supply or less. If you choose to do this, please check on their credibility with the sites I have linked in number 2.
7. Talk to your doctor before you travel – Before traveling always check with your doctor, you may need a vaccine and you may need to take some antibiotics or whatever you think you may need when you go overseas. This will help prevent any problems of using pharmacies you are unsure of.
8. Don’t take the medication, if you cannot get a prescription – There have been numerous horror stories where people do not get a prescription because they are either too embarrassed or busy or something else. This usually leads to people buying form unsafe sources. Better to ask for a prescription for that Viagra than having to explain what you did if/when something goes wrong.

These are all great tips! It is easy to find ourselves not following them, but to keep ourselves safe and others, it is best to follow these. Even in the United States these problems still occur.

China Cracked Down

Tonight I stumbled upon a short article that was published yesterday from http://www.china.org.cn. It says that the Ministry of Public Security and the State Food and Drug Administration seized more than 20,000 suspects for making and distributing counterfeits pharmaceuticals last year.

According to the statement released yesterday by the two organizations, these suspects were involved in 14,000 cases that amounted to more than 16 billion yuan (2.56 billion U.S. dollars). The statement also says that twenty-eight companies were shut down and 228 suspects were arrested for making capsules and gelatin products containing excessive chromium.

In the statement they also say that the departments will  intensify coordinated efforts to crack down on counterfeit drugs. We shall see.