In 2003, the FDA announced a mass recall of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor. The recall, triggered
by the discovery of counterfeits, affected more than 130,000 bottles.
While drug counterfeiting in the U.S. is still rare, the number of investigations are on the rise. According to the FDA, the number of counterfeit drug investigations has risen from an average of five per year in the 1990s to more than 20 per year since 2000.
Growing use of the Internet to purchase prescription drugs also complicates matters. “The biggest threat now to every pharmaceutical manufacturer is online buying of prescription products. How do you control that, make sure that the authentic product is being purchased, plus at the correct price?” asked Neil Sellars, director of product development and marketing for National Label Company in Lafayette Hill, PA. “Online purchasing brings everything to a whole new threshold.”
Journal:
CONTRACT PHARMA January/February 2005.
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drug Lipitor, recall ,drug counterfeiting ,prescription drugs ,