FDA finds fake, subpotent drugs online

[956Vette]

FDA finds fake, subpotent drugs online

Jul 15 (Reuters) - A Web site advertising "Canadian generic" drugs shipped fake, contaminated or substandard versions of three commonly prescribed medicines, U.S. regulators said on Tuesday.

Food and Drug Administration investigators ordered generic versions of Pfizer Inc.'s impotence pill Viagra and cholesterol-fighter Lipitor, as well as Sanofi-Synthelabo's sleeping pill Ambien.


The Web site "shipped drugs that were the wrong strength, including some that were substantially super- potent and that pose real health risks as a result," Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford said.


Some of the pills were drugs that "contained contaminants" or should not have been given because of potentially dangerous interactions with other medicines, Crawford added.


The FDA did not identify the Web site but said it had been sending "spam" e-mail to consumers touting its products.


Despite frequent government warnings about safety risks, buying cheaper drugs online is a growing trend as drug costs rise and more Americans lose health insurance.


Advocates of drug importation say the FDA is exaggerating risks, particularly for medicines bought in Canada. Congress is considering legislation to set up a legal system for importing prescription drugs from certain countries.


The FDA said its recent purchases showed consumers can be misled "even where a Web site looks legitimate."


The pills sold as copies of Ambien had too much active ingredient. One tablet was nearly twice the normal strength, the FDA said.


The Lipitor copies on average contained 57 percent of the amount of active ingredient listed on the label. The Viagra copycats also were subpotent, the FDA said.


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-Sounds like a hell of a deal on the ambien! But what is everyones take on americans getting their prescription drugs from Canada?

[flexin-rph]

Ok (deep breath), here I go.
I am very biased on this issue (I am a pharmacist here in the US). I could go on
about this for a very long time, but I won't bore you w/ all the details. But, I will give
you some (interesting) facts.
It costs a drug mftr approx. $150 million to get a new drug entity approved on the
US market. Once approved, the company has what's left of a 17 year patent to get
that money back, plus make a profit (oh, and what a profit they make).
The only reason Canada can sell these drugs so cheap is b/c their government
refuses to buy them unless they can get a deal (makes sense).
Why can't our lawmakers do the same? Dunno.
I can't even buy these drugs as cheap as what Canada is selling them for (& you
know they are still making a profit). So until the US lawmakers stop these US drug
firms from ripping you (us) off, the cost of prescription drugs will continue to skyrocket. Also, this (counterfeit & less-than-potent-drugs from Canada) is not the
first time this has happened, nor will it be the last.
So, do I mind if the US public gets their med's from Canada? No, not really; just
don't call me if you have a question/problem w/ that medicine. I'm really bust w/
my paying customers.
(sorry....had to set the record straight & get that off my chest)....
flame away,
flexin

[righton]

Well...for one thing the drugs are regulated in Canada meaning that no matter what the cost of purchase to the pharm they can sell them for a fixed price with little margin. Also ANY drug purchased in Canada undergos the same if not more strict scrutainy and testing that is done in the US so any overdosed or contaminated drugs definately did not come from a CANADIAN pharmacy!

[Blown_SC]

Right on, umm.. righton...

It's true, our standards are much higher.

[decadbal]

dam canada and their fakeness...way to go blown... yet another peg in the board for we americans...bad cananadananadananadanada

[Blown_SC]

dam canada and their fakeness...way to go blown... yet another peg in the board for we americans...bad cananadananadananadanada

Fack off ya bastid...

[elicotton]

It's just another dam ploy for the caucks to take over our country, sending overjuiced viagra and ambien. I KNEW that pisshard was too hard to be for real! Especially after sleeping for 48 hrs.! Bastards.

[Red Ketchup]

[COLOR=DarkRed]The FDA did not identify the Web site but said it had been sending "spam" e-mail to consumers touting its products.

Not naming the website... thats classy... trying to combat cross border drug shopping with scares...

Hmmm sounds like one of those Rumsfeld "Terror threat alerts" "There is imminent threat! We don't know what it is, how it's going to happen or where it's going to happen, but trust us, there is a threat!"

The only reason Canada can sell these drugs so cheap is b/c their government refuses to buy them unless they can get a deal (makes sense).
Why can't our lawmakers do the same? Dunno.

Don't forget we got socialized medecine here...

Also think about this... the drug companies would not sell here in Canada if they couldn't make obscene profits on their products... come on, they are not charities... even with govt price control, they are still making a killing. If they were not, they would simply not sell here.

Now the prices they sell in the US is downright obscene. They are fleecing you folks big time.

But on the other hand, you also have to figure that their operating costs are a lot higher in the US... lawsuit settlements alone for the US is enough to double or triple the price of a med over there. We have no such insane settlements here... judges don't allow them. Just look at how much a US doctor pays in malpractice insurance compared to a Canadian doctor (usually the US one pays 15-20 times more than the Canadian one).

But the bottom line is that your government will never regulate med prices... the med lobby to both political parties will make 500% sure of that.

Red

[mass junkie]

Kind of the reason why im getting out of the business.......Ambien is a controlled substance and if you do buy it online it is Illegal

[righton]

It's just another dam ploy for the caucks to take over our country, sending overjuiced viagra and ambien. I KNEW that pisshard was too hard to be for real! Especially after sleeping for 48 hrs.! Bastards.

**** right....wait till the army boys try to squeeze into a Bradley or M1 with a hardon!!! And with all the women in the forces now....what a distraction!!

[decadbal]

Fack off ya bastid...

i told u to refer to me as daddy, now edit your post..

[Blown_SC]

i told u to refer to me as daddy, now edit your post..

Fine Daddy...

I know you like the 3 year olds to call you that when you are 'hearing what they want for christmas'... but wtf do i have to?

[decadbal]

bc as a nuck, you owe your freedom to me... not america, just me... bc when i was in alberta dating the love and girl of my dreams, i defended your country from the geese and sent them all south... o owe me..lol

[Blown_SC]

bc as a nuck, you owe your freedom to me... not america, just me... bc when i was in alberta dating the love and girl of my dreams, i defended your country from the geese and sent them all south... o owe me..lol

Nahh... they're back every spring muh ****a! WTF!
Hero my ass

[decadbal]

Nahh... they're back every spring muh ****a! WTF!
Hero my ass

dont talk back to your daddy... those geese are deadly..

[Blown_SC]

dont talk back to your daddy... those geese are deadly..

Bahaha... when i grew up on the farm I learned to respect them.. crazy ass fukas were insane!

And they are a lil greasy to eat... ah well....