Category Archives: Internet Pharmacy

A pharmaceutical company has ventured into law enforcement. Purdue Pharma LP, the manufacturer of OxyContin and other prescription medications, has joined the fight against prescription drug abuse. Unique tablet markings, monitoring of drug counterfeiting and Internet distribution, analyses of pharmacy robbery and thefts in a database and tracking the supply chain are all part of the companys effort to combat abuse and diversion of prescription drugs. Experts from Purdue, based in Stamford, Conn., and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Associations were in Bucks County Wednesday to train more than 25 officers from all over the state on preventing and responding to prescription drug abuse and diversion. The event, hosted by Warminster Police Chief Michael Murphy, was held at the Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network office in Newtown Township. Our goal is to keep prescription drugs out of the hands of criminals and people who abuse and traffic them and we try to make sure that legitimate patients have access to them, said Landon Gibbs, director of law enforcement liaison and education at Purdue. Providing law enforcement with information helps them do their job successfully and spread awareness throughout the area about growing problem of abuse and … Continue reading →

LEESBURG, Va., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --A new RxAlly survey reveals that despite high awareness (63%) of the fact that pharmacists are the health care practitioners with the MOST specialized training in medication management, their expertise is widely underutilized. The survey also found that only 15 percent of U.S. adults have ever discussed a medication maintenance regimen with a pharmacist and only 49 percent have discussed any new medication with a pharmacist. Ahead of National Pharmacist Month (October), the study was conducted online by Harris Interactive in September 2012 among 2,310 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Additional findings show that less than 20 percent (18%) of U.S. adults trust a pharmacist most to help guide and inform healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. A majority of people trust their doctor most (72%), followed by friends and family (36%), spouses or significant others (36%) and the Internet (22%). The survey also revealed that 76 percent of adults agree that pharmacists are equally as qualified to answer questions about prescription medications as doctors. However, only 25 percent have regular conversations about their health with a pharmacist and only 39 percent report that they often rely on a pharmacist for medical … Continue reading →

FDA takes action against thousands of illegal Internet pharmacies in international Operation Pangea V protect consumers from dangerous unapproved drugs The announcement takes place during the 5th annual International Internet Week of Action (IIWA), a global cooperative effort to combat the online sale and distribution of potentially counterfeit and illegal medical products. This years effort Operation Pangea V operated between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and resulted in the shutdown of more than 18,000 illegal pharmacy websites and the seizure of about $10.5 million worth of pharmaceuticals worldwide. The goal of this annual effort, which involved law enforcement, customs and regulatory authorities from 100 countries, is to identify producers and distributors of illegal pharmaceutical products and medical devices and remove these products from the supply chain. Last week, the FDA reinforced its online efforts with the launch of a national campaign to educate Americans about the risks of buying prescription medications over the Internet. BeSafeRx Know Your Online Pharmacy seeks to raise public awareness about the health risks of using fraudulent Internet pharmacies and what consumers can do to protect themselves. During Operation Pangea V, the FDA targeted websites selling unapproved and potentially dangerous medicines. In many cases, the medicines … Continue reading →

FDA NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Oct. 4, 2012 Media Inquiries: Sarah Clark-Lynn, 301-796-9110, sarah.clark-lynn@fda.hhs.gov Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA Agency participates in international Operation Pangea V to protect consumers from potentially dangerous, unapproved drugs The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in partnership with international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, took action this week against more than 4,100 Internet pharmacies that illegally sell potentially dangerous, unapproved drugs to consumers. Actions taken include civil and criminal charges, seizure of illegal products, and removal of offending websites. The announcement takes place during the 5th annual International Internet Week of Action (IIWA), a global cooperative effort to combat the online sale and distribution of potentially counterfeit and illegal medical products. This years effort Operation Pangea V operated between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and resulted in the shutdown of more than18,000 illegal pharmacy websites and the seizure of about $10.5 million worth of pharmaceuticals worldwide. The goal of this annual effort, which involved law enforcement, customs and regulatory authorities from 100 countries, is to identify producers and distributors of illegal pharmaceutical products and medical devices and remove these products from the supply chain. Consumers in the United States and around the world face a real … Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. consumers that the vast majority of Internet pharmacies are fraudulent and likely are selling counterfeit drugs that could harm them. The agency on Friday launched a national campaign, called BeSafeRx, to alert the public to the danger, amid evidence that more people are shopping for their medicine online, looking for savings and convenience. Instead, they're likely to get fake drugs that are contaminated, are past their expiration date or contain no active ingredient, the wrong amount of active ingredient or even toxic substances such as arsenic and rat poison. They could sicken or kill people, cause them to develop a resistance to their real medicine, cause new side effects or trigger harmful interactions with other medications being taken. "Our goal is to increase awareness," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told the Associated Press, "not to scare people away from online pharmacies. We want them to use appropriate pharmacies." That means pharmacies that are located in the U.S., are licensed by the pharmacy board in the patient's state and have a licensed pharmacist available to answer questions. In addition, the pharmacy must require a valid doctor's prescription for the medicine. Online drugstores that … Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. consumers that the vast majority of Internet pharmacies are fraudulent and likely are selling counterfeit drugs that could harm them. The agency on Friday launched a national campaign, called BeSafeRx, to alert the public to the danger, amid evidence that more people are shopping for their medicine online, looking for savings and convenience. Instead, they're likely to get fake drugs that are contaminated, are past their expiration date or contain no active ingredient, the wrong amount of active ingredient or even toxic substances such as arsenic and rat poison. They could sicken or kill people, cause them to develop a resistance to their real medicine, cause new side effects or trigger harmful interactions with other medications being taken. "Our goal is to increase awareness," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said, "not to scare people away from online pharmacies. We want them to use appropriate pharmacies." That means pharmacies that are located in the U.S., are licensed by the pharmacy board in the patient's state and have a licensed pharmacist available to answer questions. In addition, the pharmacy must require a valid doctor's prescription for the medicine. Online drugstores that claim none is … Continue reading →

FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Understanding and minimizing the risks of buying prescription drugs online are the goals of a new public education campaign by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A recent FDA survey of Internet users found that 29 percent said they were unsure of how to safely buy prescription medications online, yet more than 20 percent of respondents said they use the Internet to buy the drugs. The Internet makes it easier for fraudulent and illegal online pharmacies to sell medicines to Americans because they can operate outside the system of federal and state safeguards that protect people from inappropriate or unsafe medicines, according to the FDA. Medicines bought from fraudulent or illegal online pharmacies could be counterfeit, contaminated, past their expiration date, contain the wrong or no active ingredient, or not have FDA approval. Using these medicines could put your health, or the health of your family, at risk, the FDA warned in a news release. Only 3 percent of websites that were reviewed appeared to meet state and federal pharmacy laws, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the organization responsible for licensing pharmacies. It can be difficult for consumers to known … Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. consumers that the vast majority of Internet pharmacies are fraudulent and likely are selling counterfeit drugs that could harm them. The agency on Friday launched a national campaign, called BeSafeRx, to alert the public to the danger, amid evidence that more people are shopping for their medicine online, looking for savings and convenience. Instead, they're likely to get fake drugs that are contaminated, are past their expiration date or contain no active ingredient, the wrong amount of active ingredient or even toxic substances such as arsenic and rat poison. They could sicken or kill people, cause them to develop a resistance to their real medicine, cause new side effects or trigger harmful interactions with other medications being taken. "Our goal is to increase awareness," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told The Associated Press, "not to scare people away from online pharmacies. We want them to use appropriate pharmacies." That means pharmacies that are located in the U.S., are licensed by the pharmacy board in the patient's state and have a licensed pharmacist available to answer questions. In addition, the pharmacy must require a valid doctor's prescription for the medicine. Online drugstores that … Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. consumers that the vast majority of Internet pharmacies are fraudulent and likely are selling counterfeit drugs that could harm them. The agency on Friday launched a national campaign, called BeSafeRx, to alert the public to the danger, amid evidence that more people are shopping for their medicine online, looking for savings and convenience. Instead, theyre likely to get fake drugs that are contaminated, are past their expiration date or contain no active ingredient, the wrong amount of active ingredient or even toxic substances such as arsenic and rat poison. They could sicken or kill people, cause them to develop a resistance to their real medicine, cause new side effects or trigger harmful interactions with other medications being taken. Our goal is to increase awareness, FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told The Associated Press, not to scare people away from online pharmacies. We want them to use appropriate pharmacies. That means pharmacies that are located in the U.S., are licensed by the pharmacy board in the patients state and have a licensed pharmacist available to answer questions. In addition, the pharmacy must require a valid doctors prescription for the medicine. Online drugstores that … Continue reading →

The Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. consumers that the vast majority of Internet pharmacies are fraudulent and likely are selling counterfeit drugs that could harm them. The agency on Friday launched a national campaign, called BeSafeRx, to alert the public to the danger, amid evidence that more people are shopping for their medicine online, looking for savings and convenience. Instead, they're likely to get fake drugs that are contaminated, are past their expiration date or contain no active ingredient, the wrong amount of active ingredient or even toxic substances such as arsenic and rat poison. They could sicken or kill people, cause them to develop a resistance to their real medicine, cause new side effects or trigger harmful interactions with other medications being taken. "Our goal is to increase awareness," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told The Associated Press, "not to scare people away from online pharmacies. We want them to use appropriate pharmacies." That means pharmacies that are located in the U.S., are licensed by the pharmacy board in the patient's state and have a licensed pharmacist available to answer questions. In addition, the pharmacy must require a valid doctor's prescription for the medicine. Online drugstores that … Continue reading →