FDA alerts doctors to counterfeit drugs

FDA alerts doctors to counterfeit drugs

Jan 3, 2013
By: From staff reports
Drug Topics

 

The FDA has warned more than 350 medical practices that they may have received counterfeit, contaminated or ineffective medications.

The medications, which come from foreign suppliers owned and operated by Canada Drugs, are not approved by the FDA and may put patients at risk of exposure to dangerous products, the FDA warned in a December statement. The suppliers include Quality Specialty Products (QSP), A+ Health Supplies, QP Medical, Bridgewater Medical, Clinical Care, or other foreign or unlicensed suppliers.

Medications coming from any of these companies "may be from unknown sources, may have unknown ingredients, may be counterfeit, or may not have been manufactured, transported or stored under proper conditions as required by U.S. law, regulations, and standards," FDA stated in its letter to doctors dated Nov. 30, 2012.

FDA has warned doctors in the past about unapproved and counterfeit oncology drugs coming from these suppliers and requests that use of any additional medications obtained from them be immediately stopped. To protect consumers from the risks associated with unsafe or ineffective medications, the organization urges doctors to purchase drug products directly from manufacturers or state-licensed wholesale drug distributors in the United States.

Practices that still have medications from any of these companies are advised to contact FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations to arrange for the medications to be collected. Adverse events related to the use of medications coming from these suppliers should be reported immediately to FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

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