Counterfeit Medication

[CathrynRose]

Did anyone watch Dateline NBC last night?

The Counterfeit medication segment was *frightning*!!! I cant imagine, if deaths, or issues are occuring, how they'd even be able to track it! How scary!!!

What are peoples thoughts on this? How prevelant could this be and why on earth arent these wholesalers liscensed?!?!?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13137839/

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1334721

For reference, click above -

 

[luvwinnie]

Yes, very scary.

DId you see the segment on the young woman who died after acquiring strep through her epidural (ok, I'll say allegedly since the suit is pending, but that's what I believe). SHe was a friend of a friend. It was heartbreaking.

 

[Geoff_M]

The Counterfeit medication segment was *frightning*!!! I cant imagine, if deaths, or issues are occuring, how they'd even be able to track it! How scary!!!

Remember this the next time politicians suggest a "quick fix" and want to open up drug importation into this country from manufacturers and facilities that are beyond FDA control and certification. If you think our drug supply is hard to control/track now, you ain't seen nothing yet!

 

[chris1gill]

Yes, very scary.

DId you see the segment on the young woman who died after acquiring strep through her epidural (ok, I'll say allegedly since the suit is pending, but that's what I believe). SHe was a friend of a friend. It was heartbreaking.

I cried on this one, it was completely heartbreaking.... When I saw her sister, it just brought tears to my eyes

Geoff, if the drugs were being imported from the International drug manufacturer's directly (like Roche & Pfizery), it would not be a problem... unfortunately when you import from a "wholesaler", well, then... there's your problem. The tracking chip they introduced on the show would be a step in the right direction towards keeping fakes off the street I would think...

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

This goes for pet medication as well. There have been reports that most drugs from online 'pharmacies' come from overseas. Some were proven to have NONE of the advertised drug actually in the product. Be aware!

 

[Christine]

One of my carpool mates watched this and he ranted about it all day.

I just want to stick my head in the sand...

 

[Geoff_M]

Geoff, if the drugs were being imported from the International drug manufacturer's directly (like Roche & Pfizery), it would not be a problem... unfortunately when you import from a "wholesaler", well, then... there's your problem.

One of the last "importation" bills that was debated in Congress, would have authorized open shipping from 26 countries into the US from both manufacterers and wholesalers. South Africa was one of those countries. It's estimated that around 20% of that country's total drug supply is counterfeit. These countries could also act as "pass-thru" countries, with product starting in one country, shipped to one of the 26 "approved" countries, and then sent to the US. The only "safeguards" that legislation floated would have been a requirement that a "paper trail" must accompany each shipment that could be supposedly used to trace any product back to its origin. However, it'd be open season for counterfeiters to crank out bogus documents supposedly from Country X as they shipped it out of Country Y to the US.

The RFID idea is being floated by US drug makers. However, Congress isn't looking at US and European drug makers as the prime movers to hopefully drive down prices. They're looking to off-shore companies.

 

[lulubelle]

We watched this show, too, and were flabbergasted. I simply could not believe how easy it was for Cherry and others like her. I cried at the family whose mom died prematurely due to getting the fake cancer drug. I mean, it totally robbed her quality of life at the end. Just when you think the sickos of the world cannot be topped, a story like this makes us think....we must do whatever is necessary to stop this. Very disturbing.

 

[luvwinnie]

This goes for pet medication as well. There have been reports that most drugs from online 'pharmacies' come from overseas. Some were proven to have NONE of the advertised drug actually in the product. Be aware!

Yep, my vet told us this. We won't buy pet meds online.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

Yep, my vet told us this. We won't buy pet meds online.

Scary, isn't it? Hopefully, reports like this will decrease the popularity of online drug companies, both for humans and animals. It's amazing how many spam drug emails I get. No wonder they're phishing so hard, what a huge profit for these scuzzbags!