Fake drugs are a real international problem

[Gingersnap]

Fake drugs are a real international problem
Updated by Joseph Stromberg on April 19, 2014, 9:00 a.m. ET @josephstromberg [email protected]

Recently, a team of Georgia Tech chemists analyzed the contents of 25 different types of emergency contraceptive pills (often called the morning-after pill and marketed as Plan B) bought in Lima, Peru.

28 PERCENT OF THE PILLS WERE COUNTERFEIT OR INEFFECTIVE

What they found is pretty concerning. Seven of them, or 28 percent, were either counterfeit or of such poor quality that they probably wouldn't work in preventing pregnancy.

Six of the samples had insufficient levels of the artificial hormone that prevents the release of an egg from the ovary (levonorgestrel) or were formulated incorrectly, so the hormone wouldn't be released properly as the pill dissolves in the body.

One type of pill simply contained an antibiotic that can cause rashes and even life-threatening skin conditions in people who are allergic to it, but does nothing to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Counterfeit drugs are an international problem.

So, don't buy Plan B from the same guy who sells you X. Good to know.

Vox

[RobJohnson]

People often use overseas mail order or visit pharmacies when on vacation and then come back to the states bragging about how inexpensive the medication was. First off, you might as well try and smuggle cocaine back into the states and the second issue is that most of the off shore drugs are fake. This includes a lot of those purchased in Mexico which is a problem in the Southwest with our close proximity to the Mexican border.

[Michele]

How about the Canadian pharmacies where some other country is the one actually making the meds? During the height of my springtime allergies..and before I got an allergy shot..my eye doctor gave me a prescription for 5ml Alrex which was $192. She had also given me a sample so I just used that until I could get an okay from my regular doctor for the shot.

I was curious about the price of the drops in Canada and found out that they could be ordered online for the same size. Then I went down the rabbit hole and started searching info on the sites and found out that some of the medications are filled by pharmacies in other countries. While you could possibly choose the country, it might cost more. I found the whole thing Canadian drug thing interesting since I knew nothing about it beforehand.

[RobJohnson]

How about the Canadian pharmacies where some other country is the one actually making the meds? During the height of my springtime allergies..and before I got an allergy shot..my eye doctor gave me a prescription for 5ml Alrex which was $192. She had also given me a sample so I just used that until I could get an okay from my regular doctor for the shot.

I was curious about the price of the drops in Canada and found out that they could be ordered online for the same size. Then I went down the rabbit hole and started searching info on the sites and found out that some of the medications are filled by pharmacies in other countries. While you could possibly choose the country, it might cost more. I found the whole thing Canadian drug thing interesting since I knew nothing about it beforehand.

The State of Nevada Pharmacy Board went to Canada to visit brick and mortar Canadian mail order pharmacies. Most of what they found were mail forwarding services. They ended up with a very small list of approved pharmacies. Most generic drugs that you purchase at your local XYZ drugstore are not made in the USA but that are made in FDA approved and overseen plants.

Now it looks like there are no longer any approved Canadian Pharmacies that are licensed by Nevada.

http://renotahoe.about.com/od/hospitalshealthservices/a/Nevada-Canadian-Pharmacy-Program.htm