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 Health & Beauty | January 2007 
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Warns About the Continued Dangers of Counterfeit Prescription Drugs
 USNewswire
| | According to a 2006 World Health Organization report, the current prevalence of counterfeit medicines can range to over 10 percent of the drug supply globally. |
Amid increased concern over the growing epidemic of counterfeit drugs, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) issued the following information concerning worldwide counterfeiting activity. Much of this increased activity is aimed at pharmacy outlets in the United States. According to a 2006 World Health Organization report, the current prevalence of counterfeit medicines can range to over 10 percent of the drug supply globally.
NABP notes that in 2006:
• United States
Nineteen people were indicted in Detroit, Michigan, for importing and distributing counterfeit products, to include pharmaceuticals. A portion of the proceeds were used to fund the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
Eleven people in Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota and the Central American nation of Belize were indicted on charges of selling counterfeit prescription drugs over the Internet. Investigators believe many of the drugs had little or no medicinal value, and that those behind the scam netted more than $19 million.
• Canada
One of Canada's largest Internet pharmacies is selling counterfeit versions of Lipitor, Crestor, Celebrex and seven other drugs, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These counterfeits were seized en route to American patients.
• Mexico
Eleven tons of counterfeit, expired, stolen, or illegally imported medicines were reported seized by Mexican authorities in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Jalisco, and Morelia in November 2006. Six individuals were arrested and fourteen more are under investigation according to Mexican news sources.
• South America
It is reported that in underdeveloped countries such as Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico, up to 40 percent of manufactured pharmaceuticals are believed to be counterfeit.
• United Kingdom
In July 2005, 70 packs of counterfeit Lipitor, marked with genuine batch numbers, were found in two separate licensed wholesalers in the UK. Dutch customs intercepted a consignment of counterfeit Lipitor bound for Canada and found 10,000 packs in UK packaging. The British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recalled the suspect batch numbers and more than half the 520 packs returned were found to be counterfeit. Around 2,500 counterfeit packs had already been consumed or discarded by the National Health Service patients. Days after that incident came to light a second batch of counterfeit Lipitor was found.
• China
In China, authorities believe that for some drugs, the estimated average of counterfeit copies can be as high as 50 percent. Chinese police dealt with more than 4,600 cases involving counterfeit and inferior goods from January to November 2006, according to the Ministry of Public Security. One of the most serious cases was the use of tainted drugs manufactured by Qiqihar No. 2 Pharmaceutical Co., which left 11 people dead.
• India
20% of medicines sold across India are fake or counterfeit, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India. Of the 20% fake medicines, 60% are without active ingredients, 19% have wrong ingredients while 16% have harmful and inappropriate ingredients, such as talcum powder.
Legislation to curb the instances of counterfeit drugs entering the U.S. supply has been introduced in 2006 on both the federal and state levels. This includes legislation requiring everyone in the drug-supply chain to adopt more secure business practices and instituting tougher criminal penalties those found manufacturing and distributing counterfeits.
"Individuals who depend on medications should have the peace of mind that what they are taking to make them better is in fact doing so, and not endangering their health," said Carmen Catizone MS, RPh, DPh, executive director/secretary of the NABP. "We will continue to work with state and federal governments to ensure prescription drug safety for the future and hope that the safety of America's drug supply remains a priority in Washington."
Also in 2006, NABP introduced a web site to help educate the public about the dangers of counterfeits and steps they can take to protect themselves. For more information, visit http://www.dangerouspill.com.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) was founded in 1904 and represents all of the pharmacy regulatory and licensing jurisdictions in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, eight provinces of Canada, two Australian States, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its purpose is to serve as the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.
SOURCE National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
An 8-Step Checklist for Medicine Safety
• Sample: Request samples of your medications from your physician when first having a medication prescribed in order to compare the appearance, taste, texture and reaction later to medications filled through the doctor's prescription. Save the sample's packaging for future comparison. For specific questions on identification of medications, talk to your pharmacist.
• Appearance: Compare the prescription medicine you receive with what it is supposed to look like by taking pictures of the original manufacturer's drug and all associated packaging. You can also find pictures in the Physicians Desk Reference available at your local library. When comparing packaging, look for differences in paper, printing (is it the same size, raised print, embossed, etc.), color, and fonts.
• Feel: Take note of the prescription drug's taste and any associated feeling once you take it. For example, if injecting a medication, is it supposed to burn? Is there anything unusual in your body's reaction compared to previous experiences?
• Evaluate: How is your body reacting over the course of treatment? Do you feel that you are benefiting from the medication? Is your condition improving, stabilizing, or reverting back to ill health? Ask your doctor or pharmacist what you should expect to feel.
• Doctor: If your drugs do not seem to have the same taste or if you feel different than usual, immediately write down your symptoms and contact your doctor and pharmacist.
• Report: If you have any concerns about your drugs, or have confirmed there is a difference in packaging, labeling, or pills, you should immediately contact the pharmacy where you purchased them. You may also want to contact the FDA and the manufacturer of the medication to report your concerns. The FDA can be contacted by calling toll-free 1-800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088), or on the Web at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.
• Unavailable: If you confirm that your medicine has been compromised, immediately remove it from your medicine cabinet, mark the packaging with a red pen, and put tape around the top of the drug container so that it will be unavailable to you or others in your family. Take the medications to your local law enforcement officials or contact the FDA for more information.
• Gather: Gather all the information you can find related to how you got the counterfeit medication and how long you have been taking it. One of the key issues is where you purchased the medication. Was it from the Internet, from a mail order, or from a local pharmacy? When did you purchase the medication? Do you still have the packaging? How long have you been taking the counterfeit drugs? If the medication must be taken routinely, you should also contact your physician or pharmacist to arrange for a new supply so that you can resume taking your medication.
For more information visit http://www.fda.gov/counterfeit/ or http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/buyOnlineGuide_text.htm.
The S.A.F.E. D.R.U.G. checklist guide is a product of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, is available for download here: SAFEDRUG.pdf. |
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