People from all walks of life are potential drug counterfeiters, from CEO’s to measly con-artists that are out to make a few bucks. The one thing all these criminals have in common is that they do not care who they hurt to make money.
The president and CEO of NuCare Pharmaceuticals, Christopher Wayne Lamoreaux, knowingly purchased counterfeit prescription drugs from another pharmaceutical company to then repack and sell them as originals. The conterfiet drugs inculded Lipitor and Bextra (FDA 2005). Lamoreaux was sentenced to a federal prison for 21 months, 3 years of supervised probation and a fine of over $115,000.
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Babies bring the most peaceful loving thoughts to mind, but not for two California criminals. Shane Thompson and Margaret Thompson counterfeited baby formula that was meant for babies suffering from milk allergies. They didn’t do this by making their
own formula up or adding fake ingredients, they simply peeled a label. The Thompsons scanned the label of the expensive specialized baby formal and made copies. They then purchased the cheapest milk-based formula and replaced the label with the copied ones. The counterfeited ‘specialized’ milk was then returned to a major grocery store, hence, making them a profit.
These counterfeit cans were then put back on the shelf and purchased by unknowing parents. The babies that were fed this formula suffered from a fever, vomiting, skin rash, and diarrhea due to a reaction to the cow proteins. Parents had to rush their babies to the hospital for treatment. The maker of the specialized formula, Mead Johnson, contacted authorities about the counterfeit infant formula.
The FDA stepped in and asked the grocery stores to take additional security measures and ID anyone returning the specialized milk. This lead to the arrest of Margaret Thompson who was finally convicted by matching her fingerprints on several of the counterfeit cans. Her husband’s fingerprints were also matched, and he was convicted as well. Shane Thompson was convicted to only seven months of prison, and his wife was placed on five year probation. The couple had to pay over $200,000 in fines.
Nordenburg, T. (2000). Counterfeiting couple pays high price for baby formula fraud. FDA Consumer, Nov-Dec; Vol. 34 (6), pp39
The president and CEO of NuCare Pharmaceuticals, Christopher Wayne Lamoreaux, knowingly purchased counterfeit prescription drugs from another pharmaceutical company to then repack and sell them as originals. The conterfiet drugs inculded Lipitor and Bextra (FDA 2005). Lamoreaux was sentenced to a federal prison for 21 months, 3 years of supervised probation and a fine of over $115,000.
http://libproxy.uta.edu:2066/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2005102027&site=ehost-live
Babies bring the most peaceful loving thoughts to mind, but not for two California criminals. Shane Thompson and Margaret Thompson counterfeited baby formula that was meant for babies suffering from milk allergies. They didn’t do this by making their
own formula up or adding fake ingredients, they simply peeled a label. The Thompsons scanned the label of the expensive specialized baby formal and made copies. They then purchased the cheapest milk-based formula and replaced the label with the copied ones. The counterfeited ‘specialized’ milk was then returned to a major grocery store, hence, making them a profit.These counterfeit cans were then put back on the shelf and purchased by unknowing parents. The babies that were fed this formula suffered from a fever, vomiting, skin rash, and diarrhea due to a reaction to the cow proteins. Parents had to rush their babies to the hospital for treatment. The maker of the specialized formula, Mead Johnson, contacted authorities about the counterfeit infant formula.
The FDA stepped in and asked the grocery stores to take additional security measures and ID anyone returning the specialized milk. This lead to the arrest of Margaret Thompson who was finally convicted by matching her fingerprints on several of the counterfeit cans. Her husband’s fingerprints were also matched, and he was convicted as well. Shane Thompson was convicted to only seven months of prison, and his wife was placed on five year probation. The couple had to pay over $200,000 in fines.
Nordenburg, T. (2000). Counterfeiting couple pays high price for baby formula fraud. FDA Consumer, Nov-Dec; Vol. 34 (6), pp39
This story is so sad. It makes you wonder how many times something like this has happened and the party responsible was never caught. This is why it is so important to take the extra time to look at what you put on or in body before you use it. If the product looks or smells different ask yourself if it is safe to use.
ReplyDeleteAngie Wallis, SN, UTA SON
Yes, it's very shocking and upsetting indeed to know that such heinous crimes are actually common and that we or someone we know may have been the victim. It doesn't surprise me that the perpetrators have often been the white collar CEOs who already profit immensely without the need for outright duplicity. It clearly shows the relative deprivation theory in action. Such disdain for human life really bothers the hell out of me. When infants are targeted it seems to show another level of corruption beyond greed.
ReplyDeleteI believe the article was informative & well written. Impressionable teenagers, young adults and virtually all individuals young or old should be alarmed and armed against such blatant disregard for the consequences of bogus prescription drugs. Statistics identified in the story, illustrate how harmful these "counterfeit" pharmaceuticals have become. Doctors as well as the Drug Co's who manufactue their own product, are lackadaisical when it comes to better community involvement and interacting with the authorities to report such abuses. Regrettably, these pillars of Society are reluctant to interface or make waves for fear of soiling their own product recognition and diminishing their very own profit centers. Continued awareness & educational material needs to be disseminated throughout all public venues, i.e., schools, nursing homes, as well as community forums such as neighborhood watch groups, and churches.
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