Meds-on-a-Mission Blog: April 2020

AIMING to bring Healing, Health, and Hope to Millions by Increasing AWARENESS of Fake Therapies & their Consequences, focusing on ADVOCACY and Partnerships to Address this Epidemic, while Supporting ACCESS to Effective and Affordable Medications.

April 2020: Each issue highlights events involving the ongoing challenges associated with the epidemic of fake medications worldwide, the efforts being taken to combat this epidemic, and efforts to increase access to safe and effective medications.

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I. AWARENESS: The areas that highlight the prevalence, challenges, and consequences of taking fake, substandard, and illegal medications

AFRICA

Lagos Seals 32 Illegal, Unregistered Pharmacies, Patent Medicine Stores

Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods has shut 32 pharmacies and patent medicine stores for offences bordering on illegal operation and operating beyond scope of practice.

ASIA

Fake cures, risky rumors: Virus misinformation hits home

From being duped into taking poisonous “cures” to watching businesses crumble and avoiding life-saving medication, people are suffering devastating real-world impacts of a deluge of online virus misinformation. As the new coronavirus sets scientists scrambling for a solution, rumors and false claims are fueling confusion and deepening economic misery.

How Bengaluru airport is becoming a target The past few months can be termed ‘innovative’ when describing drug smuggling in and out of Bengaluru city. Smuggling has always involved ingenuity. See examples.

EUROPE

New figures show 3.5 million unlicensed erection pills seized in 2019

Around 3.5 million unlicensed erection pills worth more than £10 million were seized in the UK in 2019 according to new figures released today by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA is warning people not to take a chance with fake medicines as it launches the next phase of its #FakeMeds campaign, this time focusing on fake erectile dysfunction (ED) medicines sold online.

Trafficking Masks, Fake Medicines, Running Online Scams: 'Corona Criminals' Prey on Europe's Virus Fears

From trafficking dodgy surgical masks to peddling counterfeit medicines and running internet scams, criminals are finding ways to profit from the coronavirus crisis, European police warn. With billions of people under lockdown in their homes and borders shut, police chiefs say criminals are finding it hard to make money out of "traditional" activities like burglary and drug smuggling.

Coronavirus Cure Available Online is Fake! $14 Million Worth of Fake Cures Seized With121 Arrests, and 37 Organized Crime Groups Dismantled

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) has become the world’s top priority, criminals have started to adjust as well by counterfeiting surgical masks to manufacturing fake coronavirus ‘cures.’ The lowlifes that are exploiting this pandemic have now become the target of global law enforcement operations.

US companies hit hardest by fake medicines: EUIPO, OECD

Companies registered in the US are hit hardest by the trade in counterfeit medicines, which in 2016 reached $4.4 billion, according to a report from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

NORTH AMERICA

US Customs intercept fake coronavirus test kits at LAX

It was announced that U.S. customs agents intercepted a package at the International Mail Facility at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) that contained counterfeit COVID-19 test kits.

COVID-19 scams target older adults, prey on fears

Con artists in the bi-state region continue to prey on the fear of COVID-19.

Kristin Griffith, with the Iowa Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) notified SHIIP counselors and coordinators to be on the lookout for scams. In Benton County some people received calls saying they were “eligible for a special coronavirus kit.” Fraudsters try to bill Medicare for fake or sham tests and "treatments" related to the coronavirus, and are targeting individuals to illegally obtain money or Medicare numbers.

Border Patrol finds $113K worth of fentanyl in fake engine compartment

Border Patrol arrested a man and woman this week accused of trying to smuggle bundles of fentanyl in their car’s engine compartment. A drug-sniffing dog took interest in the vehicle, and agents pulled the driver and his passenger — a woman — into a secondary inspection area. Agents gave the car a more thorough search, finding two wrapped packages of drugs inside a false compartment under the hood, agents said.

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentine pastor could face a year in jail for selling phony hand gel which he claimed would cure followers of coronavirus

Argentine pastor Héctor Aníbal Giménez is being investigated for attempting to sell a sanitizer which he promised will cure coronavirus. The pastor said the alcohol gel was made with extracts from a tuberose plant. Giménez was hawking bottles for 1,000 Argentine pesos, or $16

II. ADVOCACY: Global advocacy activities and partnerships, addressing the fake / counterfeit medication crisis and medication challenges

AFRICA

Africa CDC head is driving a new public health agenda on the continent

Africa faces a range of public health challenges, from infectious diseases such as cholera, malaria, Ebola, HIV, and more recently, coronavirus, to a growing burden of chronic diseases. Other problems in Africa, including poverty, armed conflicts, and government mismanagement, complicate efforts to address health issues.

ASIA

Ennoventure's fight against fake drugs

Technology company Ennoventure applied cryptography to build an authentication tool that has been granted two US patents. The solution can benefit the pharma industry in combating counterfeiters

EUROPE

Call for government action over fake pharmaceuticals as study reveals scale of global problem

New study estimates the value of fake pharmaceuticals worldwide to be up to €4.03bn Counterfeit antibiotics, lifestyle drugs and painkillers most frequently encountered. Report sparks call for more resources to combat the illicit trade of falsified medicines.

From Miracle Cures to Fake Sprays, EU Joins Global Crackdown

The European Union’s law enforcement arm helped spearhead a global crackdown on gangsters peddling a “staggering amount” of fake products online linked to the Covid-19 virus, according to EU Commission President

The federal police warns against counterfeit drugs and other drugs against feline corona virus, phishing scams on the increase

Criminals will try to gullible citizens, to shed light on false drugs, medical devices, and dietary supplements, which are, so to speak, and the corona virus can cure or alleviate. It reports to the federal police, and members of the public for the oplichtingspogingen about.

NORTH AMERICA

FDA warns public of fake COVID-19 testing kits, treatment drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning people about scammers trying to sell unproven and illegally marketed COVID-19 testing kits and medications. Some of these products claim to treat, cure, or prevent COVID-19. The FDA says they have not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness and could be dangerous.

How to spot fake coronavirus news on social media

Bad information about the novel coronavirus appears to be contagious. But there are some steps you can take to verify information on social media before you share it. The temptation to share unverified but alarming information is understandable. Many of the people who share hoaxes don’t do it to mislead; they think they’re sharing valuable information with their friends and family. But it’s easy to hit “retweet” on something that’s just not true. And false information isn’t helpful to anyone.

Avoid #Covidscams - A Partnership For Safe Medicines Public Education Campaign

III. ACCESS: Entities making a difference by finding ways to provide safe and effective medications to all

The AMR Benchmark: independent report on pharma’s response to AMR

The 2020 Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark compares how pharmaceutical companies are bringing AMR under control. It covers R&D, responsible manufacturing, appropriate access, and stewardship.

Dispensary of Hope: DoH is a charitable medication distributor that delivers critical medicine – free of cost – to the people who need it the most but cannot afford it. For people in need or if you know of someone without prescription medication benefits, contact one of our dispensing sites

Patient Assistance Programs for Prescription Drugs

Patient Assistance Program (PAPs) Directory

PAPs have emerged in an effort to help patients who lack health insurance or prescription drug coverage obtain the medications they need. These programs are typically offered by pharmaceutical companies to provide free or low cost prescription drugs to qualifying individuals.

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MEDS ON A MISSION (MOAM) – We AIM to bring Healing, Health, and Hope to Millions Through Increased AWARENESS of Fake Therapies & their Consequences, Continued Focus on ADVOCACY and Efforts to Address This Epidemic, and Identifying ACCESS opportunities to Effective and Affordable Medications. If you are aware of any efforts going on in these areas, please forward that information to medsonamission@gmail.com