Counterfeit Drugs Surfacing in Mexico
Anyone who has traveled into the small border towns in Mexico
has surely seen the number of "farmacias" that line the streets.
They are usually nothing more that a small store with a person
in a white lab coat working behind the counter. The danger here
is that the prescription medication that is readily available
may not be medicine at all.
The Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers about
these dangers. The warning reminded people that "drugs purchased
in foreign countries are not regulated by the FDA" and "do not
carry the same FDA assurances of safety, effectiveness, and
manufacturing quality as drugs purchased within the United
States."
What is truly bothersome now is the proliferation of internet
pharmacies. Unless the web site carries the "VIPPS" logo, you
truly cannot be sure where the medication originated. Only
on-line pharmacies that "have demonstrated to National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) compliance with VIPPS
criteria including patient rights to privacy, authentication and
security of prescription orders, adherence to a recognized
quality assurance policy, and provision of meaningful
consultation between patients and pharmacists." To find out more
on VIPPS certification, go to www.nabp.net.