by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Sep 25, 2013 | Drug Safety
Drug safety topics on this blog usually relate to online pharmacies and the dangers posed by rogue sites selling bad meds or real prescription meds sold online but without requiring your prescription; and personal drug importation and the importance of only buying from credentialed online pharmacies. Today I read about the many deaths caused by overdoses of acetaminophen, a popular over-the-counter (OTC) pain-reliever, and felt moved to remind our readers to use great care when taking all medication. Whether or not a drug requires a prescription, in protection of your health, you are responsible for taking medicine as directed, whether by your doctor or on the label of an OTC product.
ProPublica, a non-profit investigative media organization, reported that over 1,500 Americans had died over the past decade from ingesting acetaminophen, usually because they took more than the recommended amounts. Their research is highly critical of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for moving too slowly to safeguard American from taking too much acetaminophen, whereas other countries have done a much better job. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson and Johnson, the makers of Tylenol, which is a leading brand of acetaminophen, is also criticized by ProPublica for hiding research about the medication’s dangers. This is not a criticism of the medication acetaminophen, as ProPublica is clear to point out its benefits and that many medical professionals stand by it – and for good reasons, it helps adults and children reduce their fevers and feel better.
Central to ProPublica’s criticisms is that the medication’s warnings do not include death as a side-effect of taking slightly more than the recommended doses. This is all the more important since studies show that other pain-relievers and fever-reducers, such as Ibuprofen do not cause death at such high rates.
People have sued McNeil and lost because their loved ones who died took more than the recommended dose of Tylenol. The parents of one child who died argued that the label did not warn that death could occur. Our hearts go out in abundance to these parents. To avoid such tragedies, the most important reminder here is that drug safety is often about following directions and is often a matter of life or death.
Tagged with: acetaminophen, OTC, propublica
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Jul 3, 2013 | Advocacy, Drug Importation, FDA, Online Pharmacies
For those of us looking online for safe and affordable medication, it’s very disconcerting to hear about the problem of fake Canadian online pharmacies, or any fake online pharmacy, and the myriad ways they can endanger your health, such as by sending counterfeit or substandard medication or engaging in identity theft. We can help you avoid the bad guys.
Just last week the FDA reported that – through Operation Pangea VI – thousands of illegal online pharmacies, including fake Canadian ones, were shutdown to protect Americans from dangerous medication. The FDA should be applauded for shutting down dangerous sites. However, even though there are real Canadian and other international online pharmacies that are safe and have very low drug prices, the FDA continues to warn Americans not to use them through its BeSafeRx program. We believe this confuses Americans about what they need to do to obtain prescribed and affordable medication safely online.
A fake Canadian online pharmacy is essentially a website dressed up with the Canadian flag, maple leafs, with red and white colors, or other graphics of Canada, but without actual ties to Canada. In fact, a majority of so called “Canadian” online pharmacies are based overseas, many in Russia and Eastern Europe. Some of them are even known to have ties to organized crime. Simply put, they are not Canadian pharmacies. Like all rogue online pharmacies, fake Canadian online pharmacies often:
- Don’t require prescriptions;
- Don’t publish verifiable and useful contact information;
- Don’t fill orders through licensed pharmacies;
- Don’t sell real or safe medications;
- Don’t have licensed pharmacist dispensing your prescription order; and
- Don’t protect your personal and financial information.
A real Canadian online pharmacy offers the following:
- Regulated medications that are approved by a respected national drug regulatory authority;
- Prescription fulfillment through licensed pharmacies, dispensed by licensed pharmacists;
- Requirement of your valid prescription, issued by your doctor – NOT through an online questionnaire;
- Verifiable contact information, including telephone number and mailing address;
- Online pharmacy operation by or affiliated with a licensed Canadian pharmacy; and
- The ability for consumers to speak with a licensed pharmacist for counseling;.
You can find real Canadian online pharmacies on PharmacyChecker.com. We have verified that they meet critical safety criteria.
There are a small number of real Canadian online pharmacies that no longer work with a Canadian bricks and mortar pharmacy because they have transferred prescription fulfillment to licensed pharmacies in other countries. They retain the Canadian moniker or have the word “Canada” in their web addresses to keep their original branding and website. That doesn’t mean they are not safe. However, they ought to be transparent and disclose that medications ordered come from pharmacies outside of Canada.
This brings up an important side note: where are your medications really coming from and who is making them? When you buy a prescription medication at your local U.S. pharmacy that does not mean it was made in the United States. Almost half of all prescription drugs sold in U.S. pharmacies are imported. Furthermore, U.S. pharmacies do not inform you who made the active ingredients (the main ingredient that treats you) – in the medication you are taking. Most active pharmaceutical ingredients – 80% according to the FDA – found in U.S. pharmacy prescription drugs are made outside the U.S., mostly in India and China. If you buy a prescription drug from Canada and most other countries the same holds true. Don’t despair, the U.S. and many other countries have strong safety protocols to protect their prescription drug supplies: those same supplies usually just cost much more in the United States.
Here’s a chart to show you the difference between real and fake Canadian online pharmacies. As you’ll see it’s like day and night:
|
Real Canadian Online Pharmacies |
Fake Canadian Online Pharmacies |
| Sells only regulated medication? |
YES |
NO |
| Prescription fulfilled through licensed pharmacies and by licensed pharmacists? |
YES |
NO |
| Requires your valid prescription? |
YES |
NO |
| Provides verifiable contact information? |
YES |
NO |
| Protects your privacy? |
YES |
NO |
| Does not send you spam? |
YES |
NO |
| Is owned by or works with a Canadian pharmacy? |
YES |
NO |
Tagged with: Canadian Pharmacy, fake online pharmacy
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Jun 19, 2013 | Healthcare Reform, Pharmaceutical Industry, Politics
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of consumers over drug companies by ruling that pay-to-delay tactics by pharmaceutical companies could violate antitrust laws. This could mean speedier access to low-cost generic drugs, greater prescription adherence among cash-strapped Americans, and lower healthcare payments for taxpayers.
In this landmark case, Federal Trade Commission vs. Actavis, the Court decided 5-3 that generic drug company Actavis may have violated federal anti-trust laws in accepting payment from a brand name drug company, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, to delay manufacturing a generic version of AndroGel. An important caveat of the decision is that patent settlements between drug companies are not unlawful by definition but that the law is flexible enough on a case by case basis to conclude that pay-to-delay is anti-competitive, and under some circumstances illegal.
The FTC has estimated that Americans spend an extra $3.5 billion each year because of pay-to-delay practices. If drug companies are deterred from attempting pay-to-delay agreements then more generics will be found on U.S. pharmacy shelves faster. FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez summed up the decision: “The Supreme Court’s decision is a significant victory for American consumers, American taxpayers and free markets.”
Tagged with: pay for delay, Solvay, Supreme Court
