FDA cracks down on online selling of counterfeit medicines
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued 22 warning letters to operators of websites selling illegal drugs stating that they are breaking US law.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued 22 warning letters to operators of websites selling illegal drugs stating that they are breaking US law.
It has also told internet service providers and domain name registrars that they may have grounds to shut down these websites and suspend the use of domain names.
The letters follow an International Internet Week of Action (IIWA), code-named Operation Pangea II, which aimed to stop the online sale of illegal drugs.
During the effort, the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI), in conjunction with the Centre for Drug Evaluation and Research and the Office of Regulatory Affairs, Office of Enforcement, targeted 136 websites that appeared to be engaged in the illegal sale of unapproved or misbranded drugs to US consumers. None of the websites was for pharmacies in the US or Canada.
The crackdown in the US uncovered more than 700 alleged packages of fake or suspicious prescription drugs including viagra, vicodin, and claritin, and shut down 90 alleged rogue online pharmacies.
"Many US consumers are being misled in the hopes of saving money by purchasing prescription drugs over the Internet from illegal pharmacies," said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.
"Unfortunately, these drugs are often counterfeit, contaminated, or unapproved products, or contain an inconsistent amount of the active ingredient. Taking these drugs can pose a danger to consumers."
The International Criminal Police Organisation, the World Health Organisation's International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (IMPACT), the Permanent Forum on International Pharmaceutical Crime, and national health and law enforcement agencies from 24 participating countries, sponsored the IIWA.