COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES
While the issue of counterfeit medicines is not new, there seems to be a growing prevalence of incidents reported by the media. The following articles highlight some of the reported cases, and dangers, of counterfeit medicines.
(Online NewsHour - October 3, 2004) As more Americans buy drugs from Canadian Internet pharmacies, the U.S. government and pharmaceutical companies are warning consumers that this practice may endanger their health.
Online NewsHour - Drug Safety.pdf 93.89 kB
(PBS Online Newshour - March 9, 2004) As the controversy over legalizing drug importation heats up, policy-makers are paying increased attention to the factors that keep Canadian drug prices lower than those in the United States. This segment focuses on drug safety.
(Managed Care - 2004) Pharmaceutical prices often vary significantly between countries, creating an incentive and global market for counterfeiters to produce and distribute fake medicines. In fact, it is estimated that pharmaceutical counterfeiting is as profitable as the narcotics trade.
This article examines the economic dynamics of reimportation and the risks posed by counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
Managed Care - Economics of Counterfeit Medicines.pdf 64.79 kB
(JAMA - August 27, 2003) Drug regulators and industry experts are nearly unanimous in declaring secondary drug wholesalers as the most likely source of counterfeit medicines. Whereas primary drug wholesalers tend to buy directly from drug makers, secondary wholesalers can aquire surplus lots from large distributors or buy in bulk from other wholesalers. In fact, drugs can pinball between wholesalers for months before landing on the pharmacy shelf.
JAMA - Alarm sounded on fake drugs.pdf 92.52 kB