The State of New Jersey has shut down the mail order pharmacy Medications4Less. Medications4Less claimed to be importing medications from “Canada” (see entry on the Realities of Importation from “Canadian” Internet Pharmacies). Medications4Less wasn’t so much a pharmacy as it was a room in Karen Azarchi’s house in Princeton, NJ. No word on if any patients died or were harmed from taking medications dispensed by this company.
According to Pharmalot, Medications4Less was dispensing drugs to state undercover agents who presented bogus prescriptions written by “fictious doctors.” Another order “involved two drugs that can cause dangerous, sometimes fatal, interactions.”
Ironically, Adam Fein of Drug Channels, found this gem of a newspaper article from 2002 touting the virtues of Karen and her company Medications4Less. Another reason to not believe everything you read in the media. The highlight of the article is a quote from Ms. Karen Azarchi stating, “I think it would be great but what would be better is if Medicare and Medicaid covered this.” How do you spell Medicare fraud?
Now, John Mack at the Pharma Marketing Blog, recently commented on this topic contending that importation is a “pharma fear” and a “negative, scare tactic.” However as this case illustrates, the risk of Internet pharmacies is more real than imagined.
Now, John Mack has asserted that counterfeit and bogus drugs are not just a problem when ordering online, but also in “neighborhood pharmacies, hospitals, or doctors.” You know, he’s right. However, I would be willing to bet that the likelihood of getting bogus meds online from Internet pharmacies that don’t check if a doctor is real or not is significantly higher than at your local Walgreen’s.
One thing is certain, this will happen again.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
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2 comments:
This is ridiculous. My friends and I have been dealing with Medications4less for several years. We have not suffered any damage and the drugs ARE from Canada, unless they tell you otherwise.. Karen and Co. have been very courteous and helpful even in drugs for my HORSE!!!!!!
I'm very glad to hear that you and your friends were not harmed by this outfit.
There are several facts this case:
1) Medications4Less dispensed prescriptions that included dangerous and sometimes fatal drug interactions. Had she dispensed them to a patient instead of the police, someone could have died. If she was "courteous and helpful" to you, but killed someone else, that doesn't make what was doing right.
2) Medications4Less dispensed prescriptions without doing the required validations on the authenticity of the prescriptions.
3) Medications4Less dispensed prescriptions that were written by fictitious doctors.
How do you know your drugs are actually "from Canada?" What actual evidence, other than Karen’s word, how do you know where they were manufactured? You don't. Nobody does. Maybe they were. Maybe they weren't. And that has been my point in all of my messages on the topic of importation, Internet pharmacies and counterfeit drugs.
Maybe this "pharmacy" (woman in her basement) wasn't malicious, but they certainly were not operating under regulations and were not operating in a safe manner. And I don't think it is "ridiculous" that she was endangering people's lives. Again, very thankful that you, your friends and your horse were not hurt or even killed.
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