A recent US case reveals just how important acceptance checks are when receiving deliveries of pharmaceuticals. The case revolves around the import and sale of misbranded Viagra and Cialis.
A total of 7,200 counterfeit Viagra (sildenafil citrate) and Cialis (tadalafil) tablets were imported from China in open foil blister packs without packaging or labels. The important point is that, barring some inconsistencies in the tablets themselves and their packaging, the drugs looked authentic.
Testing by the FDA, Pfizer and Eli Lilly revealed that the Viagra contained less of the active ingredient than stated and the Cialis contained no active ingredient at all. The defendant, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and receiving and delivering misbranded drugs, is facing up to eight years in prison plus a fine of as much as $260,000.
Erectile dysfunction may not be a life-threatening condition if left untreated; however, I remember blogging about a similar case involving cancer drugs last year.
In April last year, the FDA brought out a low cost, handheld device that used ultraviolet to detect fake drugs. It was hopeful that the CD-3 could play an important role in the fight against the global counterfeit drug trade.
But at over 5 million doses seized globally in the first 8 months of 2013 – it’s a trade that isn’t going to die so easily…
Whitehall Training produces an online course on Good Distribution Practice for pharmaceuticals - as well as covering the precautions needed to guard against counterfeit drugs, it details the steps required to ensure that drugs reach their end user in the same condition that they left the manufacturer. Written by Louise Handy, chair of the Research Quality Association, this provides an authoritative and convenient way to ensure you have the knowledge you need.
