"Bad Medicine" An I-Team Investigation Part 2
"Bad Medicine" An I-Team Investigation Part 2
By Karen Hensel
24-Hour News 8 at 11:00 p.m.
Nov 3, 2007
Click here to watch a video of the news report - part 2
Click here to watch a video of the news report - part 1
INDIANAPOLIS - The I-Team 8 investigation "Bad Medicine" has uncovered a public health risk to every American from counterfeit prescription drugs found on the internet.
I-Team 8 traveled to America's four largest ports of entry for the drugs. The flow of the drugs stops in Indiana.
One city is actually encouraging employees and retirees to buy prescription drugs online, and that's sounding the alarm with the FDA.
I-Team 8 watch as customs officers and FDA officials opened package after package of counterfeit drugs.
They come from China, India, Canada, all headed to the United States.
At all four ports I-Team 8 quickly found packages going to Evansville, Bloomington, and Indianapolis.
FDA officials say they're concerned drugs found in the packages could be sugar pills, could have stricnine or ground up concrete, which was found in some tablets.
But, some cities are actually encouraging their employees to buy their drugs from the internet to save money.
Muncie is one of them. City employees and retirees are required to buy long-term meds through mail order.
But for bigger savings, Munciemeds.com touts Canarx.com, a canadian internet pharmacy.
I-Team 8 took the issue to the Mayor of Muncie who is also a pharmacist.
Mayor Dan Canan said he's not concerned that a canadian pharmacy is recommended instead of a stateside. He said it's an option people can use if they want to.
Canarx waives the 20% copay as an incentive for employees.
The FDA said a good portion of those drugs, 80% that come from the internet are counterfeit.
Mayor Canan said the FDA's information does not concern him and that he personally has gotten his prescriptions from them.
But, there have been concerns, a lot of them with this specific company.
Canarx was at one point under investigation by the FDA.
Mayor Canan said he was unaware of that.
In just 20 minutes, I-Team 8 found proof of a federal investigation of Canarx that started the year Muncie signed on with the company.
The FDA calls Canarx: "Illegal and dangerous."
I-Team 8 learned an FDA warning letter was sent in 2003 to the company's regional manager living in Syracuse, Indiana.
It said quote, "FDA is taking this action against you and your firm because you should not be continuing to profit through illegal actions that put the health of the american public at risk."
The FDA said there are still concerns with Canarx.
"We can't provide those safeguards, if the FDA can't provide those safeguards I don't believe anyone else can either at the state or local level can provide those assurances." said FDA Commissioner.
The city of Muncie has saved money, nearly $200,000 this year alone.
But at what cost.
"I became concerned when you think are these really effective?," said Dr. Laura McClure a Muncie Internist.
Dr. McClure became increasingly concerned about her patients because of it.
"It would distress me when I would think that's where my medicine would be filled," said Dr. McClure.
She said that's how her patients were being taken care of as well.
Dr. McClure isn't alone, the major drug companies are also concerned.
The counterfeiters are trying to copy their products.
A Chicago FDA pharmacist said he's seen counterfeit insulin with the Lilly logo on it.
Back in May, a Lilly product called Zyprexa was found to be counterfeit. The drug is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Lilly takes it so seriously.
"First and foremost it is a patient safety issue," said Mike Muller with Lilly Global Security.
It has security teams stationed around the world to investigate the counterfeiters right on site.
The websites claim the drugs are real, even tell you they're FDA certified.
Counterfeiters are putting more effort into the packaging, to make it look real, than the drug itself.
Canarx did not return I-Team 8's calls for comment.
But conside this, of the 400,000 counterfeit drug packages that come into this country's international mail facilities every day, the FDA is able to inspect only 1%.
So, how would people know if they had been taking counterfeit drugs?
Consider the person dying of cancer, unknowingly taking a watered down chemo drug.
That person could die of cancer and no one would ever know.
If an autopsy and test were not performed, the strenght of the drugs would never be known.
I-Team 8 will stay on it.
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7305418&nav=menu35_2
