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| Weekly Update | August 3, 2010 |
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FDA: Don't Use
Unapproved IUDs
The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned women not to use unapproved
intrauterine devices (IUDs), a form of birth control, in part because they can
potentially be counterfeited.
The FDA
reminded health professionals in a July 22 letter that unapproved IUDs may be
ineffective and unsafe. In the letter, the FDA said it must approve all IUDs to
ensure that they meet federal safety standards.
The letter
was partially spurred by a recent incident in Rhode Island where women received unapproved
IUDs.
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"The recent
issue with patients in Rhode Island unknowingly receiving imported,
unapproved IUD/IUSs highlights the unacceptable risk patients may be exposed to
when a product's identity, purity, source, handling, and storage cannot be
verified," Theresa Toigo, FDA's liaison with health professionals, wrote in the
letter.
The FDA
cautions that trying to save money by purchasing IUDs that are reportedly made
in Canada is not worth the risk.
"Unapproved
products bring a lot of unknowns into the equation," said FDA compliance
officer Kathleen Anderson. "An internet ad may claim to sell IUDs made in Canada, but there's no way to be sure.
They might have been made anywhere in the world and in unsanitary or undesirable
conditions."
The
FDA also notes that legitimate online pharmacies will have a seal from the
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which is commonly known as the
VIPPS seal. VIPPS stands for Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites. |
Top News
Health
Canada: Don't
Buy Drugs at www.GlobalPharmacyCanada.com
Health
Canada, the country's national health
agency, recently warned consumers about the potential dangers of purchasing
prescription drugs at www.GlobalPharmacyCanada.com. Health
Canada
cautions that the site is not a licensed Canadian pharmacy, and that it has not
authorized the products sold by the website, according to a release from the
health agency. (Partnership for Safe
Medicines, July
28, 2010; Link
here) |
World News
Canada: Counterfeit Lifestyle Drugs Continue to Show Up Counterfeit
lifestyle drugs continue to show a worldwide presence as demonstrated with a
recent report from Canada. The tip came from a consumer, who
purchased the counterfeit drugs at a retail location in Montreal. Health Canada worked with the Manufacturer to
confirm the illegitimacy of the product, and then inspected the store which has
pulled the product from its shelves. Additionally, Swiss officials report that
counterfeit lifestyle drugs contributed to an alarming 75 percent rise in
illegal drug imports during the first half of this year. ("Canadians find fake
[lifestyle drugs]; inspect retailer," FiercePharma,
August 2, 2010; Story
here)
China: Counterfeit Drugs Still Easily Obtainable Via Unlicensed Websites Numerous
unlicensed websites that offer a variety of counterfeit drugs are still doing
business online even after a government watchdog exposed them publicly. The
drugs being offered allegedly attack diabetes, skin problems and a variety of
chronic illnesses. In April, the administration released a list of 20 such
websites that sell fake traditional Chinese drugs but the Global Times discovered
that only two websites on the list were shut down and most are still in
operation. ("Counterfeit drugs still just a click away," Global Times, July 30, 2010; Story here)
Philippines: Coalition Partially Blames Slow Judicial Process for Counterfeit Drugs The
Coalition Against Fake Medicines, a group of public and private institutions
whose aim is to rid the Philippines of counterfeit drugs, recently
called the country's slow judicial process a major factor in the rise of phony
medicines. The Coalition, which includes the Philippines' Department of Health and Pfizer,
recently held a press conference to speak out on the issue, according to the
Manila Bulletin. "The judicial process is slow, it takes 5 to 6 years to reach
fruition on certain cases. We need rapid response because this involves health
and safety issues of people," Scott A. Davis, senior director for Global
Security/Asia Pacific Region, told the press conference. ("Slow judicial grind
blamed for fake drugs' proliferation," Manila
Bulletin, July 28, 2010; Story
here) |
Events
Anti-counterfeiting Americas (Boston, USA)
When: Wednesday, Sep 8, 2010
Where: Boston, USA
PSM's Inaugural 2010 Interchange
When: Friday, Oct 8, 2010
Where: Washington, D.C. The Partnership for Safe Medicines invites you to save the date for an intimate conference bringing together patient groups, providers, pharmaceutical company quality experts, enforcement personnel, policymakers, regulatory agency experts and other interested parties to discuss key issues around counterfeit drugs and other unsafe medicines. Register by August 1st to take advantage of reduced registration fees.
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About the Partnership for Safe Medicines
The Partnership for Safe Medicines is a group of organizations and individuals that have policies, procedures, or programs to protect consumers from counterfeit or contraband medicines. For more information, please visit SafeMedicines.org.
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