UK Gets Tough with Bogus Drug Website Operators

Those operating bogus online pharmacies could face stiffer penalties, up to 12 years jail time under a new law developed by Britain’s Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Specific criminal sentences for counterfeiting medicines are to be introduced in the UK. Convicted individuals would face a maximum penalty of 10-12 years' imprisonment, the agency has announced. Individuals could be found guilty of either supplying or offering to supply counterfeit medicines.

Stronger enforcement is in answer to the increase of counterfeit medicines in the United Kingdom. Earlier this year a British newspaper survey indicated that one out of four general practitioners believes they have treated a victim of counterfeit drugs.

To view the entire article visit: http://www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/975201/Bogus-drug-website-operators-face-12-year-jail-sentences/.

UK Man Sentenced for Distribution of Counterfeit Anti-Anxiety and ED Drugs

Yesterday, Mr Harish Gami, a 41-year old man, was sentenced in Aylesbury Crown Court, to 8 months jail time suspended for 2 years for distributing unlicensed and counterfeit drugs.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) investigation uncovered over 100,000 dosages of medicine including controlled drugs (benzodiazepine derivatives) used for anxiety, insominia, seizures and muscle relaxants. The controlled drugs seized were Valium, Diazepam, Alpazolam, Clonazepam, Temazepam, Lorazepam and Zolpidem.

There was also counterfeit Viagra, Levitra and Cialis uncovered as part of the operation as well as the unlicensed erectile dysfunction drug Kamagra.

The fake drugs were presumably shipped from Pakistan and then stored in plastic baggies in plastic bins underneath the accused stairwell with the intent to distribute them on the internet.

MHRA Head of Enforcement, Mick Deats, said that successful prosecutions such as this send a clear signal to those contemplating the sale and supply of counterfeit medicines.

"The MHRA strongly advises people against buying medicines online from unregulated websites where the risk of being provided with a dangerous product is greatly increased."

To view more on the sentencing, visit: www.pharmaceuticalonline.com.

UK Recalls Multiple Generic Drugs

Violations of European standards by an outsourced Indian manufacturer have prompted the recall of multiple generic drugs in the United Kingdom.

Novartis's generics unit was one of about eight companies that recalled drugs this week because of "serious" deficiencies in so-called good manufacturing practices found during inspections of the contract manufacturer, MJ Biopharm, in India, according to the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Novartis generic unit, Sandoz recalled fluoxetine, an antidepressant which is the generic version of Eli Lilly’s Prozac. Other drugs recalled by Sandoz included Baclofen for muscle spasms, and metformin for diabetes.

Other recalled drugs included hypertension pills amlodipine and doxazosin and pain-reliever naproxen. The other companies that recalled drugs included Strandhaven Ltd., LPC Medical Ltd., Karib Kemi Pharm Ltd., Milpharm Ltd., Greystone Ltd., Jubilant Pharmaceuticals NV and Wockhardt UK Ltd.

To view the entire article visit the Wall Street Journal Online at: www.wsj.com.

UK Associations Supporting MHRA Requirements to Combat Drug Counterfeits

Medical News Today reported that several prominent pharmacy associations within the UK are supporting proposals for the MHRA to strengthen the pharmaceutical supply chain and reduce the risk from counterfeit medications.

This endorsement, seemingly unprecedented within the US and EU, is another telltale sign that the impact of fake and counterfeit medications within this highly regulated and developed nation has reached a point where significant measures need to be in place to protect the pharmaceutical supply and its consumers. Hopefully other pharmacy organizations within the US and EU will follow suit to protect their populations.

Read the story below:

Pharmacy Bodies Response To Reducing The Risk From Counterfeit Medicine

(March 26, 2009) The Association of Independent Multiples (AIMp), Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW), Company Chemists Association (CCA), The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) have responded to the MHRA consultation on measures to strengthen the medicines supply chain and reduce the risk from counterfeit medicines.

The pharmacy bodies support the proposals for the MHRA to strengthen the requirements for holding a Wholesalers dealer licence (WDL) and also the new proposals for Responsible Persons with the establishment of a Code of Conduct against which Responsible Persons can be judged. The MHRA should also have the power to remove a Responsible Person from the register. The bodies also support the introduction of a due diligence obligation for the holder of a WDL.

Whilst supporting the proposals to ensuring that potential offences relating to counterfeit medicines are provided for in legislation the bodies oppose the introduction of an offence for failing to report a suspect counterfeit medicine. A criminal sanction is inappropriate for failure to report.

To view the article visit www.medicalnewstoday.com

Does our Drug Supply Chain Have a False Sense of Security?

When it comes to Pharmaceutical Quality -What you see is not always what you get.

It is time for our security measures to move beyond pedigree and taggants that document where our drug supply has been and concentrate on authentication to ensure that the contents are genuine and of standard quality.

As you can see from the recent stories below, pedigrees did nothing to protect consumers from fraudulent and substandard medicines. The sad fact is pedigrees can themselves be counterfeited. Also medicines have become a huge commodity providing those individuals with questionable intentions a lucrative income. Even when false paperwork is finally detected, it can take years to retract the questionable product and bring the criminal to justice.


Thousands 'have taken fake drugs'
Thirty-thousand packs of fake life-saving drugs may have been consumed by NHS patients, the BBC has learned.

Three medicines, Casodex (bicalutamide) for prostate cancer, Plavix (clopidogrel) which treats strokes and heart conditions and Zyprexa (olanzapine) to control schizophrenia, had to be removed from pharmacies and warehouses across the UK in the recall 18 months ago.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7865246.stm



How fake drugs got into the NHS
It was the highest state of alert the United Kingdom's medicines watchdog can issue.

A UK wholesaler spotted discrepancies in packaging of stock bought from in Europe.
According to former industry investigator Graham Satchwell reputable companies were duped by sophisticated counterfeits.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7865569.stm

Woman faces prison time in drug scheme
A Milford, NH woman has pleaded guilty for her role in a two-year scheme to sell more than $2 million worth of AIDS drugs that were bought from patients around the U.S. and resold under falsified paperwork.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090129/NEWS01/301299836/-1/OPINION02
counterfeit drugs in US